Red Rosaries
by Samurai Smee
Summary: AU Byakuya X Ulquiorra. Byakuya is currently the best hit man in a ruthless mafia, but the stoic killer cannot help but pray every night for forgiveness for his deeds. What happens when he finally meets his angel? Warning: Yaoi, fluff, and angst.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Red Rosaries

"_God punishes us mildly by ignoring our prayers and severely by answering them."_

_-_Richard J. Needham

X

Chapter One

_**Byakuya's POV**_

_Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee…_

Solemnly, I kept my troubled head bowed with my brow firmly against my clasped, praying hands as I remained kneeling on the burgundy cushioned bar near the floor behind the mahogany pew in front of me – pressing inside my tightly closed palms were the tiny, scarlet beads that formed my precious and most favored rosary that I always made sure to have when coming to this place, my only sanctuary.

_Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus…_

My ash-colored eyes were kept closed as I continued to thoughtfully rest my head against my joined hands in silent prayer; my mind repeating those same, familiar words over and over so I may find some sort of internal peace at last – flashes still painfully vivid in my head of the day's previous events and their trying tolls that they recently seemed to have on me.

_Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners…_

I was currently inside the massive Saint John's Cathedral located near the Downtown District; a place I had been many, many times before; with its brilliantly constructed stained glass and white-stone sculptures that outlined the huge expanse of the quiet, barely occupied building as there were only a few other attendants in various spots also engaging in personal prayer and asking of forgiveness…same as I.

…_now and at the hour of our death. Amen._

I slowly opened my naturally half-lidded eyes; their focus already on the large replica crucifix of Jesus Christ a little ways before me, beyond the magnificently illuminated and accentuated alter, as I took a deep, almost remorseful breath to clear my swimming, overworked mind – images and revelations still fresh within me that I simply could not escape as I mindfully rose up from my kneeling, humbling position.

My hands were quick but careful in their quest of straightening out my jet black Ermenegildo Zegna suit before I quickly signed the cross against my forehead, chest and two shoulders before I made to scoot out of my row and into the main, red carpeted aisle-way so I may exit the grand but welcoming Roman Catholic church.

As I stepped past pew after pew, row after row of candles that had been lit for either the dying or the departed, I brushed my equally black hair out of my eyes – my praying and reflection presumably done for the day as I now intended to move onto face the next day and accept the exact same circumstances which landed me here in the first place.

I had killed a man earlier today.

It had been my job, my unwavering duty, as the orders to do so had been passed directly onto me from my boss; someone much more powerful and commanding than I.

After the deed had been committed, like all the other times before, I had come to this place…to pray to God and seek out some sort of divine forgiveness that I knew I did not deserve.

As I came upon the large, double wooden doors that led outside into the sinful yet refreshing rest of the world, I could not help but sigh aloud as I once again immersed myself in the ignorant stench that is human-kind and knew…just knew without a shadow of a doubt that tomorrow would be no different than today.

I would still have to kill again…and I still would have to succumb to my pentence.

I…hated…my life; doing this.

There was no point and it had such heavy, horrible consequences on me.

My name is Kuchiki Byakuya and I am the best hit man in the White Night Kyoutou.

X

Two days later…

I hollowly walked down one of the many, city streets that passed by bar after bar, club afer club – all of them absolutely filthy and wholly unfit to still be operating and untouched by any kind of authority as they were.

The hour was dreadfully late as there were little to no passersby on the street, and I had just finished another mission of mine; leaving me with a bitter taste in my mouth as well as a certain foulness inside my soul that could not be dispensed without the help of my sanctuary…the very place I was currently heading to.

…until…

_Bam! _

My steps immediately came to a stop, my trained senses already making me look to my direct right towards a shadowed alley in between two brick buildings, whose view was semi-blocked behind a large, dark green dumpster.

_Thwack…Bam!_

There was no mistaking it – something or someone was receiving some hefty, well-placed blows by the sound of it and, my hands still in my charcoal-grey suit pockets, I only stood a second more before I heard the sporadic thuds of fists against flesh were followed by a plead…a human voice, haggard and choked by tears and strife begging his attackers to stop his punishment.

"Ugh…s-stop…this…pl-please…"the strained, quiet voice sobbed through broken syllables and tears; the sheer desperation in the small, pitiful voice prompting me to move my feet towards the sound at once though I was barely able to register that I was doing so right away.

Crossing the darkened, lonely downtown street, I passed that dark green, foul-smelling dumpster and saw up close as one figure was crumpled on the cold, dirty ground with two furious-looking men looming over him with their hands balled at the ready and their stances that of pure, ruthless intimidation.

I quickly surmised that the two attackers were just punks from the street, judging by their purposefully unkempt hair and shoddy attire of baggy jeans, chains and random, dark-colored T-shirts, and I kept my hands casually inside my pants pockets while I waited for their attention before speaking to them.

"Leave," I said simply, my low baritone all but reverberating through the tense air between us all as the small form still on the ground shook with adamant fear and trepedation at the situation –that same figure laying helpless and battered on his side with his back against one of the night-tinted brick buildings behind him.

"What?! You think you can just show up and order us around!" one of the idiotic attackers shouted into the dead of night before making a clumsy dash over to me to, no doubt, try to assault me as well.

I closed my eyes for the briefest of moments, a small, psuedo-sympathetic smirk playing across my lips in the process, before I used my right hand and quickly drew my masterfully crafted, silver Browning 9 x 19 millimeter Hi-Power from my left-breast leather gun holster and pointed it right at the unruly thug's hideous, charging face.

The man's steps practically skidded to a halt as he peered in utter shock at my glistening semi-automatic handgun that could take easily his head off at any second – my arm completely steady and unwavering as it remained extended to make sure that the muzzle of my powerful gun was almost touching his scrunched-up and sweating forehead.

"Why you…!" the second man shouted all of a sudden, making my steel-cold eyes only shift to him for a short assesment as I saw that he was taking a simlar, equally uneducated approach in attacking me by just rushing forward with his fists raised high.

With a smooth pivot of my front foot, still keeping my first gun trained unmovingly on the first man, I turned around and drew my second 9 millimeter of the same make and model from my opposite, matching right-breast holster and pointed it at the second man – my back to the man on the ground who had voiced his plea and had been the victim of their crimes.

The white, pressed material of my long-sleeved shirt underneath my contrasting dark-colored suit jacket starkly stood out amidst such an equally dark-natured night from the ends of my sleeves as I kept both of my arms stetched out wide on either side of me; each holding off one of the burly, uncivilized punks beyond its reach by the glint of my guns and I said nothing more…I knew I did not have to.

Only one more second passed before, as if on syncronized cue, both of the men, with their mouths wide open in terror as they were no longer showing any signs of their initial rage and anger at me, stormed passed me into the street and effectively disappeared into the consuming night the city always brings.

Seeing them run off in absolute fear for their lives as they did, I thoughtfully closed my eyes and smirked again as I lowered my head just the slightest of fractions, my arms slowly dropping in the process as I considered the situation for what it was – serious to them but practically laughable to me.

Just then, snapping me back to my senses, I whipped around in my spot immediately upon hearing the unknown man still on the cold ground try to sit up from his laying position; an evident struggle for him judging by the tiny, poorly muffled sounds of discomfort and pain that he made.

Expertly, I quickly placed the gun in my right hand back into the left-breast holster before doing the same with my other as I said evenly down to the small, shadow-shrouded man at my feet, "Are you injured?"

Heavy, deadly handguns back in their places against my chest, the thought struck me briefly that I could not believe that I actually asked this man that question; showing such concern, and…why had I intervened in the first place?

Mentally shrugging off my obscure, unanswerable observations before they grew, I patiently squatted down upon receiving no reply to my inquiry about his state of health – my hands cautiously coming out to take hold of his shoulders before I repeated my same question to him.

With us being so close now, I could make out despite the inescapable black of night that his medium-length hair was also black and appeared to be cut at all kinds of layers and angles around his lowered head – my close-range line of vision also noticing quickly that he was wearing a black long sleeve shirt underneath a seemingly dark grey T-shirt.

"Hey," I said to him to gain his attention, my hands finally coming into contact with his slumped, shamed shoulders and I was inwardly instantly surprised to find out how lithe and small his shoulders felt underneath my large palms, "are you okay?"

This time, the man on the ground that I currently had my hands on as a way for me to show him that I was not going to hurt him, suddenly raised his head and looked me squarely in my face.

I could feel my own eyes widen slightly as my gaze was suddenly met with the most brilliant shade of green that I had never seen in someone's eyes before – I could feel myself being wholly unable to look away for a solid moment as they just seemed to hold me in their depths and instantly know everything about me…all my secrets, all my problems; everything.

It was unnerving as it was astounding.

"Y-yes…I am alright," the man whispered to me, my senses barely even registering that he had finally spoken to me as I was too busy taking in the soft curves that formed his delicate jaw as well as the equally mesmerizing tone of his unusually pale flesh that just looked like it would feel like like liquid silk underneath my fingertips.

His expression was that of uncertainty and apprehension as the corners of his thin eyebrows were upturned and a small, fearful frown shaped his small, pale lips; the tiny, green lines that matched the beautiful color of his eyes that ran down the length his cheeks only adding to his genuinely distraught and saddened appearance as he continued to search my eyes and face.

I swallowed before speaking again.

"Good," I stated curtly but not rudely as I made to stand up, my hands still holding onto his slender shoulders to make sure that he would stand up as well before letting go.

Both of us now standing and still very close to one another, it did not even occur to me to possibly take a mindful step backwards to give the man some space as I only peered meticulously over his shorter, frailer form as he used his delicate-looking hands to brush off the sides of his figure-hugging shirt before he looked back up at me – my hands back in my pants pockets so I would not try to touch him any more while I remained stoic and still in front of him.

"I um…"he started in that airy and obviously rarely-used voice of his while he let his gaze fall from my face for only a short moment before snapping back up to my infinitely disciplined ash-colored orbs that could not help but watch as this stunning, lovely younger man got situated and proceeded to say something further to me, "…thank you for…for what you did."

His shyness was killing me softly as it was something I was certainly not used to observing, considering how mostly everyone I worked with was extremely full of themselves and cocky as their words of self-praise never seemed to stop.

"Why did all of that happen in the first place?" I asked before I could stop myself, my training and my general self-made principles telling me, screaming at me that I needed to stop talking to him and just removed myself from him and the situation in full.

I saw him visibly gulp while his eyes drifted away from my piercing, intrigued stare directed down at him as he said a little shakily, "I…I was just in that bar over there, but they…I don't know, they must have overheard me telling my friends that I was gay, because they suddenly dragged me here and started hitting me…"

His lovely eyes were permanently fixed on the ground a little off to his left while his brows looked positively confused and frustrated while he recounted such hurtful details to me; my eyes not softening nor hardening as I trailed my vision from his pained expression down the gentle slope of his jaw line to his little, rounded chin and across my view of his slender, pale neck while I listened to his words.

I needed to stop; I needed to get away – he was so much smaller and gentler than I was that too many dreadful premonitions and fears started flooding me all at once…about how I would eventually hurt him, how I should not have anyone anyway, and how I was just no good to begin with.

I was a killer.

Deciding to not say anything further, I slid my eyes shut, a frown gracing my much harder features as well before I did take that step away from him and then proceeded to turn around so I may take my leave from the alley and finally reach my destination of Saint John's Cathedral.

My need to pray and acknowledge my sins was scorching me more than ever at the moment.

"W-wait!" the man suddenly called at my back while, no doubt, reaching out for me,"I'm Ulquiorra…Ulquiorra Schiffer. What's…"

"Sorry," I cut him off with my back still to him as a crisp but not unsettling breeze gently passed by and swept through the quiet, sleeping city, "but I can't let you know anything about me…Ulquiorra."

I knew I had let him down; I could just sense it in the change of the air between us that that I had probably disappointed him; but, nonetheless, I knew that it was for his own good that he did not know my name.

And with that, I walked away from him; that scared, young man in the dreary, dark alley that only stood up to my shoulders with the eyes of an angel; my chest already having tightened up uncomfortably upon taking a first step.

X

_**Ulquiorra's POV**_

That man…that mysterious, beautiful man had positively shined with such brilliance that I had to shield my eyes since his light was far too radiant against the darkness that had previously surrounded me.

As he had stood before me, protecting me while I had been seeking out solitude with the cold, unforgiving earth below me while I had prayed for my injustice to cease, he had made me gasp aloud as I could not tear my eyes away from his long, fearless form that desired to drive away exactly that which had been causing me pain.

Arms outstretched on either side of him as he stood by me, I could not help but be in awe as he resembled, in both stature and deed, the heavenly One who had sacrificed himself for all of us long ago – I was...speechless to see something like that in my lifetime.

He had saved me.

That striking yet completely reserved man had come out of the darkness and had saved me, a person he did not even know or cared about.

Now, as I watched his retreating form, I felt my admiration for my unknown savior only grow and intensify inside of me with each graceful, parting step he took, each rippling flutter the folds of his impressive dark-grey suit jacket made as they tusseled with the evening breeze.

As I saw his strong, shadowed form gradually meld into the blurred, inky images of the city streets beyond, I took a deep breath of the crisp yet cleansing air; almost feeling as if I had just been given a second chance...somehow renewed.

Just then, something caught my eye – a commanding shade of a deep crimson that easily stuck out amidst such black, just beyond the alley where I still remained due to my slight shock…the path that my nameless savior had just taken when he had left.

From the distance by which I first spotted this color, it looked like a mere, scarlet paint smudge that had been carelessly swiped over a solid black background, but I, nonetheless, slowly approached the source of color with my hands clasped together and up by my chin defensively, nervously as I once again immersed myself back into the cruel, unforgiving world by myself.

There, occupying the smallest space on the street with nothing else around it, was a beautifully-made red rosary – the large circle that the meaningful beads formed was criss-crossed over itself a few times and the small, silver crucfix on the end glinted earnestly up at me despite there being no significant light from overhead.

I swallowed before I carefully crouched down over the small but lovely tool for religious prayer, gently picking up the light, smooth item in my hand before rubbing the pad of my thumb over the extremely detailed crucifix.

My heart quickened for a fraction of a minute once I did so, as I silently asked myself if this belonged to that man…?

Did he drop this by accident?

My soul was immediately humbled and warmed as I put the two images together; realizing that such an extraordinary man deserved to have such a beautiful rosary, and that him praying with this only served to make me admire him that much more.

I could not suppress the small smile that curved my lips as I squeezed the small item in my hand a little tighter before extending my palm completely so I may look at it once more.

The crucifix turned over on top of my fingers once I did so and my eyes instantly were drawn to the few, small words that were engraed on the back.

"Saint John's Cathedral…"I read aloud though quietly as I continued to study the small piece of silver shining against my pale palm and defying the bleakness of night, "…that's near here."

My head automatically turned towards the path that that man had taken once he had left me in the alley…the exact same way that that church was!

Suddenly feeling overly excited and like I had solved some sort of puzzle or received some kind of epic prize, I stood up to my full height and held the small rosary in both of my hands – my mind already reeling with thoughts of going to that church right this second despite the horrific late hour that it was…all my thoughts totally fixated with seeing that man again, now that I had something of his to return to him.

Regaining some of my temporarily forfeited senses again, now that my adrenaline had completely worn off, I realized that I had better not – my mood already coming back down to realistic terms as I realized that a lot had happened tonight, and that I really did need to go home, check the extent of my injuries, and rest.

Tomorrow is another day, and if he does not come to that church tomorrow, there is always the day after that.

I will find him again…I had to; I would not settle for anything less.

He had saved me…me, and for no reason at all; he had stood his ground, fended off those whom I could not, and had just saved me without hesitation.

God knows what might have happened had he not shown up…the thought alone making my sides ache dully while my stomach felt a little queasy.

Refusing to let the tears that were threatening to run down my cheeks and over my cyan lines, I resolved then and there that I would see his face, as handsome and powerful as it was, and cool, somber eyes again…no matter what.

How could I let someone so just and good merely slip through my fingers and out of my life?

_Author's Note_: Okay – so I named the mafia 'White Night' because that is what Byakuya's name translates into...more or less. Simple, yes? Anywho, ha – Ulquiorra called Byakuya 'just and good' in the end…but he doesn't know that Bya kills people for a living! XD Thanks everyone and I hope you are all enjoying so far, yes?


	2. Chapter 2

"_The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him." _-William McGill

X

Chapter Two

_**Byakuya's POV**_

Three days later…

My neck was just tense enough to where I was made aware of its discomfort no matter what I tried to distract myself with, but I refused to flex my shoulders or tip my head to a side to stretch it out while I remained in this particular room with these particular people all around me.

I was currently in one of the many, plainly furnished white and brown-decorated tea rooms, as per Japanese history, inside the expansive, overly ornate manor of the leader of the White Night Kyoutou, referred to only as Yamamoto-sama, as I awaited my orders from said man.

I kept my hands inside my pants pockets of my black, handmade Brioni suit that had a different gradient of black for the out-folded chest flaps, tie, and pockets while the inside was a sleek purple satin; while I stood alongside the equally nicely dressed Ichimaru Gin, Jeagerjaques Grimmjow, Izuru Kira, and Abarai Renji – all of us holding similar jobs and ranks within the organization though we all had hugely diverse personalities and methods of doing our assigned tasks.

The forever grinning Gin was usually paired up with the shy-looking Kira to carry out orders, usually consisting of spy operations and undercover work since both of them were unparalleled in the art of thoroughly lying to another human being.

Their hours were the most unpredictable since they had to succumb to their targets' schedules and modes of operating, but all of their information was always superbly accurate, detailed, and useful for us to make 'business' decisions regarding whether the people they had been associated with were a threat or not and whether they needed to be dealt with.

Much to my personal chagrin, Grimmjow and Renji were always side by side; either on the job or off, since the two typically never stopped bickering back and forth to each other about how much better they were than the other, how many people they have killed, how many people they have fucked, how badly they were going to kick the other's ass…and so on.

Their very presence annoyed me to no end, but I would never let down my guard or break my composure at all around any one of them, and I was well aware of how valuable they were to the success our Kyoutou.

Grimmjow and Renji were more than exceptional at their sole and single task that was not as regularly utilized like my own – their affiliation to the White Night Kyoutou was when Yamamoto-sama needed massive amounts of people taken out in the most extreme of ways; their work always serving as a fervent reminder to our other potential enemies of just the kind of personnel we had at our disposal.

Their job was never quick, efficient, or elaborately pre-meditated as mine had to be; it always involved the fiery, tattooed red head and the loud-mouthed, disrespectful blue-haired man to be practically released like a couple of wild dogs into a territory occupied by a lot of enemies and told one simple thing: kill them all.

We have wiped out entire organizations in a single night before because of those two and their practically inhuman tendencies and preferences.

Different men, different methods, different roles we all served for White Night and it was because of this meticulous covering of our every base that White Night was known as the most successful and ruthless organized crime unit in the Tokai region.

The five of us remained standing, malicious smirks and smiles on Renji, Gin and Grimmjow's brutish faces, while Yamamoto-sama remained seated in front of us on a cushion on the floor while wearing his traditional solid black kimono, long dark blue haori, and white obi; a cup of hot tea in his hands that he casually sipped from while he appeared totally at ease.

As much as I did not particularly care for the other members of White Night that I was fairly certain had all been insane even prior to joining, I did have a lot of deep-felt respect towards Yamamoto-sama. He had had all of us expertly trained in our crafts, kept all of us organized and taken care of, and when he would speak, I would always listen.

"Say, Byakuya…"Gin chided all of a sudden from my left, leaning a bit closer to me still with that devil's smirk on his eerie face, "you're looking a little rough around the edges. Haven't you been getting enough sleep lately?"

His words were simple and kind, but there was no true concern in his voice that sounded like an acid-dipped blade scraping against my skull, and I closed my eyes before replying to him – my head already thinking of my real answer before coming up with a condensed, impersonal one with which to actually respond.

"That's none of your business," I replied haughtily, hoping that this little exchange would end right away between us with such a short, clipped answer from me.

In truth, I had not been getting along too well as of late.

Despite my better judgment and wishes, I have not been able to stop thinking about that man I had saved in the alleyway; sleep often not coming easy as a result since my thoughts always drifted away more extensively at nighttime.

It had already been three, full days since then, but I simply could not stop seeing those beautiful, green eyes staring back at me in my recollections; that man had been truly breathtaking and I had been so painstakingly close to him while I gripped his slender, trembling shoulders in my hands…so intimate a moment despite how we were complete strangers and had met under the most strangest of circumstances, but I swear, that it was then that I could feel just how wounded yet remarkable his soul really was.

I could still remember how small and broken he had looked on the ground with those two foolish thugs standing over him, and how positively frightened he had looked once he had finally looked me in my face; seeking answers and hope in my eyes though I was the one entranced.

Ulquiorra Schiffer…even his name intrigued me.

"Well, that's too bad," Gin continued in that oily, snide voice of his that seemed to be right in my ear though he was not exactly close to me, "but I would not be opposed to it at all if you wanted to make it my business, your sleeping arrangements, I mean."

The fingers of my right hand twitched inside my pants pocket, just wanting to pull out one of my guns and shove it right in that smirking mouth of his, as my eyes still remained somberly closed so I would not have to look upon such a vile person while he made yet another comment about wanting to be with me.

"Enough," Yamamoto-sama's gruff, steely voice sounded all of a sudden, making everyone instantly hush up and me open my eyes to look at him while he spoke, "Ichimaru and Izura are to head down to the Shimoda Ports in Shizuoka to see how our shipments are being handled and deal with any problems that arise."

"As you wish, Yamamoto-sama," Gin said almost too courteously with a bow before he and Kira swiftly exited the room; no further detail was needed on their part as they already knew that their order implied the readying of guns, possible arrangements of a driver, and the formulation of a solid route to the aforementioned location with many choices of routes on the way back…just in case any authorities decided to show up.

The shipments Yamamoto-sama was talking about were weapons, as they were our specialty and highest source of income as we sold them illegally as arms merchants all over Japan. However, being in the weapons business had it perks, such as always having ample access to the world's finest handguns that I preferred over any other alternative; which only made my specific job easier.

"Abarai and Jeagerjaques," Yamamoto-sama continued in his no-nonsense voice that was nothing but serious business running through everyone's veins at the moment, "you will be unloading the shipments that we will be receiving after Ichimaru reports in."

"Got it, boss," Jeagerjaques replied, completely disregarding Yamamoto-sama's name and well-deserved honorific which was my suspected reason why Renji suddenly delivered a sharp slap to the back of Grimmjow's head before the two of them bowed and then took off from the tea room.

"Kuchiki," Yamamoto-sama said with a little less ice in his voice as he set his cup down on top of the small wooden table before him, "I need you to kill this man."

Out of the large, wide folds of his robes, Yamamoto-sama quickly retrieved a small, crisp photograph and held it out to me; my form swiftly bending down while I took my hands out of my pockets to take the picture from him.

I recognized the man in an instant; one of the heads of a rival Kyoutou that operated near here.

His name did not matter, only his face, and I burned his deep-set wrinkles, droopy, dark eyes, and shape of his glasses to memory so there would be no mistakes.

So his time had finally come, he? My receiving your picture from Yamamoto-sama was practically like a shinigami knowing when someone's number was up.

"When?" I asked simply, knowing that no other information was really necessary beyond this for me to carry out my orders – the number of men that may be surrounding this particular person did not matter, the environment in which he might be mattering even less…that was why I was the best; I could handle anything.

"Within the week," my aged boss answered as he picked up his small, ceramic tea cup again and lifted it to his long-bearded chin to take another drink.

I quickly pocketed the small photograph, bowed respectfully to Yamamoto-sama who nodded at my display, and then promptly left the room.

Once outside the tea room and now standing in one of the manor's elaborately colorful and designed corridors in between two white and gold-filigree walls, I rolled my aching neck around at last; pleased when I heard a tiny crack sound and felt an instant wave of relief hit me from finally working out the tension.

Being out in a larger area such as this and alone, I could breath a little easier, think clearer, and just feel my body practically weigh less as I began walking down the spacious, blue and gold-designed carpeted corridor and out of one of the side doors of the manor that led out from the garden.

Being granted so much time to complete this one hit, though important, meant that I did necessarily have to rush off to complete the mission right away; giving me adequate time to take a few days off, go to church, and get prepared for the horrible deed that I was about to commit.

As my thoughts continued to stray towards more tedious things concerning how many rounds I had left in my personal magazines at home, whether or not I should bring any other kind of weaponry such as something bigger than my handguns, and if I should wear my white tie with my black shirt the day of the hit, my steps were already heading in an all-too familiar direction all on their own.

I sort of blinked my random, increasingly weird thoughts out of my head as I realized that I was, in fact, making a beeline towards the Downtown District and was perfectly en route to Saint John's Cathedral.

So be it.

I knew I had not been there in a few days, and I also knew that it would do me some good to pray as much as I could before the day I set off to fulfill my task.

I only had this very same week, after all.

It's a funny, jittery feeling one gets from the tips of their toes to the strands of hair on the back of their neck while they know…that pretty soon, they are about to take someone's life in cold blood.

While that feeling is not fleeting in the least bit, it does, however, quickly transform into an overwhelming weight that soon settles in the pit of one's stomach like they had just swallowed a stone and now had to deal with the uncomfortable but unavoidable consequences.

I was so impossibly tired of what I did for a living, and it was beginning to scare me that I was so used to something so morbid and wrong – killing; taking lives of people that had done no wrong by me.

I hated what I had become…something less human, I was certain.

I wanted out; I wanted those dreadful, sometimes painful feelings to stop coming back to me every time; I wanted to escape the inescapable…desperately at this point.

But what other purpose could a killer have…than to kill?

X

Half an hour later, I was kneeling on the same burgundy-cushioned knee bar connected to the back of the pew in front of me; my hands clasped together with my lips just sort of pressed against my intertwined thumbs while I stared almost longingly at the large, stirring crucifix behind the extraordinary alter – a view I was more than used to seeing, but never got tired of.

I had spent countless hours pondering how there could be no signs of pain on Christ Jesus's face, despite how much he had suffered up until the moment he died on that cross. How could he have just accepted such a role that brought nothing but unjust sacrifice and horrible strife?

…all with not so much as a bad word to say about any of it?

According to the Gospels, Jesus had shouted out, in Aramaic of course, "Oh, God! Why hast thou forsaken me?" but that was not a moment of doubt and aguish, which is probably the popular belief.

I knew the truth about it, though, being an avid reader of the Holy Bible, that Christ Jesus had really been quoting one of the psalms…one about lamenting in the times of the Babylonian Exile that caused numerous deaths, slaves, and hardships of the Jewish people.

In his time of utter horror, experiencing a painful and unjustified public death, Jesus' faith did not even falter once.

I sighed heavily through my nose and tilted my head so I could rest my forehead against my hands as I usually did to pray.

I only wished that I had that kind of strength and ever-resilient resolve about something…anything, just like our savior that only quoted the Bible in his time of extreme sorrow.

Freeing my left hand, I hastily dove that hand into my jacket pocket in order to retrieve my rosary so I could recite the appropriate prayers I knew by heart.

Nothing.

Dropping my other hand and sitting up straight, my eyes widened as I started searching all of my pockets for my most precious possession.

Inside jacket pockets, front pants pockets, back pants pockets…nothing; no rosary.

I simply did not have it.

My thin, black eyebrows knitted together as I had to swallow to keep my mouth from going completely dry – sheer, frightening panic starting to riddle through me, prompting me to stand up at once to leave.

After shifting out of the pew I was in, I quickly signed the cross before briskly walking down the red-carpeted aisle; no real plan of action was occurring to me at the moment as I only knew that, wherever that rosary was, it was not here since I had not been inside Saint John's in a while.

Upon reaching the last pew in the back, I spun around on my heel, and signed the cross a little slower while looking at the illuminated, meaningful crucifix again; intending to exit the Cathedral with another swift shift of my weight once I turned towards the wooden doors beyond the foyer area…before…

_Wham!_

"Ow! …ugh…"a small, muffled voice sounded right in front of me; obviously belonging to the person I had just ran into upon turning too sharply towards the direction of the foyer.

I opened my eyes that had reflexively closed upon feeling the unexpected impact, an apology already on my tongue, but my words were quick to fade from my mind as I gaped at none other than Ulquiorra Schiffer as he rubbed his sore nose that was probably what had connected to my chest.

"I'm…sorry," I said, still baffled that I was seeing this person again, and in my personal sanctuary, no less – this person I was sure I would never see again, though being such a heavenly, welcomed sight.

Ulquiorra dropped his slender, pale hand from his equally white face and instantly smiled a genuine, warm smile at me…like he was glad to see me as well.

"No, no; it's quite alright," he started as he kept smiling the most adorable smile with those small, but full lips of his at me, "I was…sort of looking for you, anyways."

Looking for me?

I was just a second away from saying 'why,' but I hushed up at once upon seeing Ulquiorra's hands reach out and take hold of one of mine.

I gulped as I realized that I had been one hundred per cent correct about something the first time we met – his skin did feel just as soft as it looked, and my fingertips tingled from his gentle, almost loving treatment of my much larger, rougher hand in between his own.

He kept one of his hands holding onto the back of mine, my palm facing up, while his other hand quickly pulled out something from his long, black, thread coat.

My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat as he released his fingers and started letting my rosary, my brilliant, unmistakable scarlet rosary sink down into my waiting palm – the very thing I had just been panicking over not even a moment ago.

He let go of my hand as soon as I had the whole thing curled up safely in my palm, and I slowly closed my fingers around it while I looked up back to him and his pleased, green-streaked face.

"Where did you find this?" I asked, honestly craving to know where I had lost it so I could recollect possibly how it might have gotten away from me in the first place.

Exquisite, dark green eyes opened to meet my much darker and narrower obsidian ones as I tried not to look too intimidating towards him – I truly was grateful for this strange twist of fate, and I did not want to scare him off just yet.

"I found it on the street…right outside where you saved me, "he explained as a tiny, almost iridescent pink blush started to tint his paper-white cheeks as he held my gaze and shoved his hands deep inside his coat pockets.

"I see, " I replied thoughtfully as I instead resolved to tucking the small, treasured item inside one of my inner pockets inside my jacket; mindlessly letting Ulquiorra see only a glimpse of one of my holstered guns and the purple satin lining of my jacket.

"I can't thank you enough. I appreciate you returning it to me," I stated like I was in some sort of business setting and had just wrapped up a deal with a client; genuinely not really knowing how else to express my gratitude.

"Well, um…about that," Ulquiorra said after his eyes dropped from mine for a second, as if he needed to assess what next to say to me before we parted ways again…like he was desperate for something, "it's me that needs to thank you properly, so…I was wondering if I could treat you to dinner?"

Right away, too many warning signs were going off inside my head at the prospect; confusing me thoroughly for a solid minute as I considered how it might be dangerous for him to be seen with me in public, how it might not be in his best interest to be around me at all, and also how I really did want to spend a little more time with this man regardless of the consequences.

"Ulquiorra…"I began somewhat remorsefully as I was trying to shove away that tiny, opposing voice from the back of my mind so I could successfully decline his offer as smoothly as possible, "I don't think that's a good idea. I think it'd be best if…"

"Please…" he cut me off in a quite voice, all signs of happiness and self-esteem gone from his lovely, round face as he instead looked like he was attending a funeral of a loved one, "…you don't know…how much what you did…means to me. Looking the way I do, people don't…they don't help me out. So, please…we could go to your place if you'd prefer?"

His eyes had not met mine during any of his words and I was instantly taken aback by the burdening credence of their meaning – everything he had said, I could either relate to or sympathize with.

I was not entirely sure of how it was possible at the time, but every little thing this younger man did or did not do around me had all the potential to melt my every barrier and reach directly into me; like his words were a unhindered link right into my head, my heart.

I blinked at him, remembering how shaken and scared he had been three days ago and how I absolutely did not want anything like that to happen to him again.

He was far too good a person to be met with such adversity in life, and as I looked upon him now while he refused to meet my gaze and was obviously thinking of things that I probably could not even image, I felt so…pained…and that I should apologizing to him.

"Kuchiki Byakuya," I stated all of a sudden, extending my hand and making him snap his lowered head towards mine with wide, surprised eyes.

"Oh!" he realized cutely as his smaller, softer slid his hand into mine and shook it mindfully, that smile back on his pale face that contrasted greatly with his stark black hair; same as mine; "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuchiki-sama."

"Byakuya will do fine," I correctly gently with a little nod of finality, not wanting him to think that he had to pamper and fuss over me, as well as wanting us to be on equal terms with each other by referring to the other by their first name.

"Byakuya…"he almost breathed gratefully, making me shiver briefly before our hands were naturally separated, "well, um…shall we get going, then?"

An idea struck me.

"Actually, would it be alright if we went to your place? I'm afraid I'm running low on supplies at mine and probably would not have anything decent to eat in the house." I asked casually, though most of it was a blatant but tactful lie.

In all honesty, I knew that I had some other guns and things lying around my house at various places since I usually did not invite company in. I also was aware that I had a fully-stocked refrigerator, but a lie needs to be as realistic as possible, I supposed, and that was the first thing I could think of to dissuade him of coming to my place.

"That's not a problem. I'm sure I can whip up something for us at my place," Ulquiorra said in good stride as we both started walking towards the giant, double wooden doors of the Cathedral together, side by side; with his petite frame only coming up to my shoulders and reminding me once again of how entirely perfect he was to me.

X

_Author's Note_: fufufu. I know… XD Drop me a line should you feel so inclined to do so; I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

"_Prayer is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble: prayer is a life attitude."_ - Walter A. Mueller

X

Chapter Three

_**Byakuya's POV**_

"Um, just sit wherever you'd like," Ulquiorra said a bit timidly to me as I slowly walked further into his apartment while he took a moment to hang up his long, black coat on one of the golden hangers near his door, "I'll be in the kitchen."

His apartment was not as small as I originally assumed it would be – my assumption, of course, being based on my half-formed premise that a small person would not need so much space.

I realized just how wrong my theory had been as I observed the impressive view of the city from the large, connected windows that overlooked the tops of buildings and structures from his spacious and adequately furnished living room.

My eyes scanned across the span of the view the windows allowed but only to take in the whole image of the loud city made quiet and small from being on the twenty-third floor of his complex as we were; the subtle hues of purple and navy struggling to overtake the warmer orange and dying red of the sky above the solid silhouettes of skyscrapers that were endlessly dotted with sparkling yellow and white where there were windows and lights all over their tall sides.

As beautiful as the city looked from up here, I, unfortunately, knew this town in a much different way, therefore rendering me rather unable to stop and appreciate the city's natural attractive ambience and allure at the moment.

Too many times had I had to go out on nights exactly like this one to do something unforgivable; the image worthy of being on a postcard before me did not stir anything within me in the least…except for maybe a twinge of sorrow at the revelation of exactly that.

"I hope you like tilapia…?"Ulquiorra suddenly chuckled somewhat sheepishly from the kitchen as I could hear him rummaging around and pulling out various things from his refrigerator.

The semi-enclosed kitchen was on my left while the adjacent living room was left quite open directly ahead; a few of the kitchen walls were a pleasant peach color while that same color turned into a minor one to compliment the ivory and deep red that decorated the living room and hallway on the opposite side of where the kitchen was.

"That'll be fine," I commented solidly, remembering that the last time I had had tilapia, I did actually like it, "thank you."

Everything felt very connected and satisfying, being in here, but the things that stuck out the most were the many, many painted canvases that lay against the walls from the light tan carpet; almost like they were to perimeter the entire apartment.

Some were even leaning against the oversized, white couch and loveseat pieces that occupied the center of his main room that faced the television and stereo that had been set up against the wall amongst an array of modern-looking shelves and bookcases.

"What are these?" I could not help but ask with mild amusement and curiosity as I approached one of the canvases at random at knelt down to fully observe the painted picture.

This particular one was of an attractive young woman who was wearing a flowing, turquoise gown that draped over her shoulders while she peered out into the ocean from a rocky, sandy bay.

It was beautifully painted, and his use of vivid colors and perfectly executed highlights on the woman's face and dress fascinated me; that ocean looked too real, almost as if I could touch the canvas but then my hands would get swallowed up in those white and blue rushing waves.

"Oh those!" Ulquiorra chimed from the kitchen as sounds of something sizzling in a pan rang in my ears and captured my attention, "those are all my paintings. I paint for a living…mostly just portraits, but…whatever customers tell me they want painted, basically."

His explanation was staggered as I could tell that he was moving about the kitchen and getting distracted with his cooking and whatnot; prompting me to take one last look at the roughly 20 x 35 inch painting I had chosen before standing up to my full height and walking across the living room to help him.

Just as I stopped behind his large, cloud-resembling white couch so I may slip off my suit jacket, I picked up on the delicious aroma of pan-seared fish and parmesan, which made me unconsciously lick my lips as I was certainly getting quite hungry at this point.

"Do you need some help with anything?" I asked with a quirk of my eyebrows at his back, my view of him being obscured by the kitchen-side bar that was part of the semi-enclosure with a few wooden and white-topped stools on either side.

I effortlessly set my expensive, custom suit jacket down along the back of his couch; blatant, jet black on spotless, pure white; and was about to take another step towards him when I suddenly remembered that I was still had my guns on me.

"I am almost done, but I do think I could use another set of hands to help me get some plates and things, "Ulquiorra answered, his back to me as he was obviously stirring something that was on top of his stove.

I never took my guns off when around other people; that knowledge all but an ingrained, inarguable truth to me anymore from being in my line of work; but with Ulquiorra…there was no threat, no need for those kinds of thoughts.

I relaxed a little, telling myself that exact same reasoning a few times in my head, as I pulled my holster straps off my black-clad shoulders, down my arms, and laid my leather-bound guns on top of my suit jacket on top of the couch.

I quickly rounded the side of the bar that led into the kitchen, my hands already working to roll up my pressed, satin black sleeves up my forearms just below my elbow while my eyes scanned the quaint peach-colored kitchen with its white-tiled floor below, white appliances, and some of Ulquiorra's own artwork hanging in between the honey-colored cabinets overhead.

"Alright, tell me what to do," I said to him, my own overly casual words surprising even me as I watched him stir a pot of seasoned white rice that was next to our parmesan-crusted tilapia and steamed broccoli – all of it needing to get sized up and put onto plates, I assessed.

Tearing my eyes away from all of my inquiring observations, I drew my attention back to Ulquiorra, who I immediately noticed had his little pink tongue in between his small, pale lips as he stirred the cooling, thickening rice; his eyes showing of adorable concentration as he all but fought with the stainless steel pot before him.

I had not expected to see something so enticing despite its genuine subtly, and, before I could stop myself, my eyes became even hungrier than my stomach as I shamelessly let them roam down the length of his slender, perfect body in front of me while he was busy.

Ulquiorra, having been rid of his large coat that I had first saw him in, was wearing a long-sleeve, white cotton shirt that had black-threaded seams and simple, faded blue jeans that just seemed to hang off his narrow hips that would easily be dominated by my much larger, muscled ones.

"Um…drinks are in the 'fridge, and plates are in this cabinet," Ulquiorra explained, still with his shyness peeping through his words and tone to me as he freed a hand and pointed quickly to an overhead cabinet on our right.

Upon having my orders, my lingering gaze was snapped to full attention so I may carry them out at once, as I first stepped passed him to quickly retrieve some drinks from his refrigerator; placing them on opposite sides of his bar for us before opening up the singled-out cabinet to do as I was told.

As I carefully pulled two black ceramic, square plates from atop the neat stack of them inside the wooden cabinet, I could not help but spare a brief side-glance towards my host, surprised but still outwardly collected as I noticed that he had also been sneaking a look my way.

His eyes were even faster than mine to go back to what he was doing as I laid down the dinner plates on the countertop next to him; spoonfuls of perfectly cooked rice already finding their way onto them along.

Plates stocked up to our hearts' delight with portions of each item Ulquiorra had expertly cooked for us, I mindfully took the other barstool so Ulquiorra could sit down on the nearest one; my mouth eager to taste his generous cooking as everything steamed with rich, tempting flavors and smells all around us.

I could not remember the last time anyone had ever cooked for only me, and I was instantly humbled and touched at the gesture – my feelings of comfort and peace from being in this place with him steadily increasing…making me think that maybe I could have _two_ sanctuaries in this life.

"Thanks for all this, Ulquiorra," I offered as we both got situated and I folded my hands together, "it all looks great."

Copying my indication, Ulquiorra folded his hands as well; his small, bashful smile making its way back onto his pale, beautiful face; as he said, "You're welcome. It was…it's not a problem."

Closing my eyes and assuming he would as well, I quickly spoke aloud, "Father of us all, this meal is a sign of Your love for us. Bless us and bless our food, and help us to give you glory each day, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

"Amen," Ulquiorra repeated as I opened my eyes and was still met with his pleased, awe-inspiring smile…like he was somehow proud of me; definitely something I could not place right away and decided to momentarily forget since I now had piping-hot food sitting in front of me.

Soon, Ulquiorra's adequately-sized abode was filled with the faint sounds of our utensils clinking against our ceramic plates, as well as our mild, somewhat hesitant conversation that was spaced out in between questions, answers, and chewing. All of our processes were acting relatively slow out of common courtesy to not hurry, but also out of this unspoken desire to prolong our tranquil, relaxing time together – the possibility that this might be the last time we ever see each other quietly nagging in both of our minds as we ate and made small talk.

Around a piece of broccoli, I commented honestly with an affirmative nod of my head, "You have a nice place."

I swallowed the food that was in my mouth as I saw Ulquiorra nod as well, casting his apartment an approving glance before regaining my gaze, and replying, "Yeah…it's um…a little big for one person, though."

I had thought the exact same thing at first, but had decided against saying so – a bit of comical relief flooding through me that he had just confirmed my 'theory' from before.

"Maybe," I agreed as I readied my fork to receive another bite to eat, "so then why do you live here by yourself?"

I had not meant for it to come out so rudely…but there it was, my overly direct question out in the open between us, and all I could do now was chew my food and wait for a reply.

Ulquiorra had just taken another sip of his water that I had gotten out for him before dropping his gaze from mine completely – my question clearly drudging up some bad tidings for my host and I instantly regretted asking it even more.

"I…didn't always live here alone, but that um…" he trailed off as he was obviously mentally fighting with himself over either how to tell me something or to even tell me this something that he was worrying about.

"It's okay," I cut in gently, hoping to spare him some embarrassment from my own failed attempt at polite conversation; something else that I was grossly unused to; "you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

At my sincerity and understanding, he seemed to perk up a little bit as he nodded before he hardened his mouth as he said, "No, no…it's just…the day I met you was actually the day after he and I broke up. His name was Aizen and he was just so…controlling. Everything I did…was wrong to him, so he had moved out a while back. Then, four days ago he calls me up and tells me that he'd found someone else. I was so devastated."

His shoulders had dropped considerably while he had recounted such a story to me; a story that made me both feel undoubtedly bad for Ulquiorra's current struggle with grief and sense of loss, as well as a certain degree of violent hatred towards this Aizen character.

What a fool; does he even realize what he had just passed up?

Ulquiorra…was nearing absolute perfection in my eyes.

How could anyone leave someone so pure?

"Is that why you went to that bar that night?" I deduced gingerly while peering across the bar at him, his eyes still carefully watching the remaining food on his plate while his thinly, evenly arched eyebrows were lightly knitted together in mourning and distress.

"Yes, it was," he admitted while he only pushed at one of his few pieces of broccoli left on his plate with his fork; my own heart thudding painfully inside my chest as I considered how it had been my doing that had made him lose his appetite.

"Listen," I began, not even sure of what I was going to tell him as I spoke, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you something so personal…so I apologize. But, I'm here if you ever want to talk."

I could not believe I had just said that to him. He was not supposed to even know my name and now I was offering my friendship?

However, even though I was well aware that I was not supposed to really have any close friends outside the White Night Kyoutou, I could not stop from saying what I had to him – I wanted him to feel better; needed it, even; as I craved to have him smile for me once more…and I did not feel regret about any of it, either.

Watery, green eyes lifted back up to meet my waiting, gunmetal grey ones as he did grant me that warm, thankful smile of his as he said sweetly, "Thank you, Byakuya."

I breathed easier upon hearing those words; my mental discord of offering my friendship effortlessly dying from seeing such a positive result from him.

"Sure thing," I replied as I softly smirked at him as well; enjoying that I got him to relax around me again…as well as say my name in that lovely, little voice of his.

"But um…"Ulquiorra suddenly said before he cleared his throat so he could continue, "do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

I knew straight away that this was not a good idea, that the less he knew about me, the better…however…I still felt like I owed him for making him upset, and if he should ask something of me right now, I had better grant it.

I shifted my weight on top of that thickly-cushioned barstool; reaching out to grasp my water; as I said, "Go ahead."

His smile got bigger across his round, green-streaked face; making me feel better about my agreement to his idea already; as he said, "Really? O-okay…well, hmm…let's see…"

I chuckled at his enthusiastic pondering over something to ask about me as I drank from my water and carefully set the glass back down on the solid, honey-colored wooden bar.

"There's actually so much that I want to ask you, I don't know where to begin…but I suppose…"he rambled; amusing me as my smirk grew on my lips; as I leaned forward and placed both my elbows on top of the bar and rested chin against my interlaced fingers while I waited for him to finish his thought.

"What…do you do for a living? You already know that I paint…"Ulquiorra said at last, his eyes were trained keenly on my own, though his voice was unsure of if he should be even asking such a thing of me.

I licked the roof of my mouth calmly before replying, "Banking."

Another lie…one that I suspected he would catch right away without fail as I knew full well that he had seen too much about me to already assess that much.

"Banking?" he echoed, disbelief already evident in his voice as he quirked an eyebrow at me questioningly.

"Yes, I am in banking," I continued but not harshly as I leaned back and looked off somewhere else.

"I...see," he digested my blatant lie; clearly knowing and respecting that I did not wish to tell him my real profession, "…do you have any tattoos?"

My head whipped back to him from looking at a particular spot on his floor.

"Actually, I do," I replied honestly with a bit of an unrestrained smirk forming my lips once again; something I could not help but do given the nature of such a random question posed to me.

If only he knew.

"Oh! Can I see them?" he asked hopefully as his eyes widened and his lips unmistakably parted in evident wonder.

"Afraid not," I replied coolly as I proceeded to take another sip of my drink from dinner – my mind already screaming at me that under no circumstances is Ulquiorra to see my notorious and highly recognizable yakuza tattoos that covered all of my back and shoulders, "what about you?"

"Just one," he admitted bashfully as another tinge of pink stained his streaked, pale cheeks – his hands already pulling down the collar of his simple white shirt so he may show me.

I eagerly watched; entranced as more of his sheet-white flesh was being exposed to me; as I saw the very top of a boldly-lined, Old English number four that was tattooed over his heart; his fingers releasing his pulled fabric after a moment.

"What does it mean?" I asked again without truly thinking over my words beforehand – the thought flickering through me that I really was at more at ease while around Ulquiorra, I did not even critique and second-guess my own words before I said them aloud while I was with him.

"I got it a long time ago," he started with a bit of glee in his voice, "I was named the fourth best free-lance painter in Japan."

"Wow," I commented, genuinely impressed that his talent was that great and discovered, "you must be very proud."

I knew I was proud of him.

"Yeah…yeah I guess I am," he said with even more pink making its way onto his pale, smiling face, "but anyways…I've been wanting to tell you that I've just been…really impressed by your suits. They look expensive…?"

This man was seriously becoming way too cute for me to handle any longer, as I could virtually feel my heart melting at his humbling, adoring words that never had an ounce of boastfulness or unreasonably high self-efficacy.

Still smirking, I dropped my gaze before replying somewhat playfully, "Most of them."

Who was I to tell him that the suit and shirt I was wearing right now, this very moment, had come straight from Italy and had been hand-tailored for me specifically?

Who was I to tell him that because I really had nothing else to spend my money on, I did buy ridiculously expensive suits and items…as well as per this horrible, shallow norm that also existed within my Kyoutou?

"I just think they're great," Ulquiorra went on, still eyeing and admiring my sleek, black clothing and tie, "you'll have to let me paint you sometime."

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out – shock at such a puzzling statement seeming to have gotten the better of me as both of my usually stoic eyebrows rose up; thoroughly bewildered and unable to come up with a reply to that.

Seeing how I had been made rather speechless, Ulquiorra chuckled as he made to stand up from his barstool and clarified, "You know…your portrait. I just would really…oh nevermind; forget it…"

Quite abruptly, Ulquiorra walked over to his refrigerator, opened it, and was quick to bend over a bit so he could pull out something from the back – effectively hiding his face and leading me to believe that he just wanted his words to somehow not exist between us anymore.

Completely curious and more than confused, I stood up as well and rounded the open side of the bar; walking into the kitchen again and up to him as he straightened back up and closed his refrigerator door – two cold bottles of beer in his hand.

"You just really…what?" I quietly inquired of him as he stared up at me with wide, emerald eyes that somehow made his short, ruffled black hair look even blacker; his lovely, cherub face even paler; as he did have to crane his neck to be able to look me fully in the face with me being so much taller than he is.

Almost as if in a daze and still with our beers in his hands, Ulquiorra dreamily replied, "I just…would love to be able to paint someone as handsome as you...Byakuya."

My naturally half-lidded ash-colored eyes widened for the briefest of seconds as I processed his words; his unwavering stare almost serving as some kind of test to me; before I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat before I came up with something to say back to him.

"Thanks for the beer," I said even quieter to him as I gently took one from his small hands, easily twisting off the ridged cap, and began making my way into his living room to sit down – my voice more than betraying my effort to remain collected about what he had just said to me as there had definitely been an underlying hesitation due to uncertainty and perhaps…gratitude.

I took a long swig of the thickly-brewed, wheat beer before sitting down on his overstuffed, white couch; my jacket and guns by my head on top of one the large pillows behind me – my mind a bit of a mess at the moment, which was why I appreciated the beer so much.

Black-clad legs spread casually wide, I could easily understand why Ulquiorra had purchased this couch…it was quite possibly the most comfortable piece of furniture I had ever had the pleasure of sitting on, and I decided on saying exactly that to my host as I saw him sit down next to me with his beer in tow as well.

"This couch is…amazing," I commented light-heartedly before tipping my beer back for another drink of the strong but satisfying liquid, my peripheral vision catching Ulquiorra take sips of his beer while he nodded his head in agreement of my observation – his slender frame seeming to almost disappear amidst the huge, pillowy comforts of the wide, deep couch that effectively cradled the both of us.

"It's one of the few places I can genuinely relax," Ulquiorra elaborated for me as we both sort of kept our eyes on the inactive television in front of us that was perched on top a black entertainment center in between two, large and fully stacked bookshelves, "…I get troubled by something, but then I just lay on this couch and it just…"

"Swallows you up and makes everything feel okay again," I finished rather quickly yet thoughtfully for him upon hearing the slightest indication that he was going to trail off again.

I had a similar place, though it was not a couch, but I could still relate.

"That's what Saint John's is like for me," I concluded to him before taking another drink of cold, bitter beer that was chilling my fingers before I briefly leaned forward so I could place the brew on top of his glass-topped coffee table a little ways in front of the both of us.

"I see…well…" he said hesitantly, still holding his freezing beer in both of his hands in between his knees as he sat a little less relaxed than my current display and still refused to meet my eyes just yet, "…you could…come here when you're troubled too…you know."

I stayed silent, just half-looking at my brown beer bottle on that simple, glass coffee table while I contemplated his words…interpreting them as how his suggestion meant that here, I would actually have someone to reply back to what I was praying for.

I still could not say anything, though.

"Byakuya," he tried again, this time setting his beer down on top of the coffee table to join mine before he shifted around to sit facing me while I continued to turn his previous statement over and over inside my head, "…where did you get that rosary from?"

At this particular question of his, I smiled sadly and dropped my head, the truth always being fresh in my mind with the words heavy in my throat.

"One day…I might tell you," I replied, my voice impossibly somber and a little pained as I made such a weightless reply to him – my soul still unable to allow me to say the same words that were burning inside my head aloud and to another person besides God.

"I hope that you do," he continued in that small, needy voice of his as he inched closer and closer to me, "because…I just really want to know more about you."

I exhaled deeply through my nose at his words, my eyes trying to fixate themselves on something off to my left and not on how Ulquiorra was closing the small remaining distance between us on his soft, wonderfully enveloping couch – my mind wholly perturbed as I was made painfully aware of such implications of his proposal, while everything else within me was in stark and stagnant opposition as I did also wanted him to know me at the same time.

If anyone, I truly did want Ulquiorra to know the real me that prayed to God for forgiveness almost every single night as I mourned my own doings and sought out redemption with every fiber of my being – my mistakes and misfortunesconstantly burdening me to the point where it was almost unbearable.

If anyone, I wanted Ulquiorra to know that I was not just some mindless killer…and that I was capable of so much more, just like everyone else.

"Byakuya," he whispered; the change in his voice prompting me to turn my head towards him but only to find that he was sitting unbelievably close to me now, practically in my lap, as his gorgeous eyes were half-lidded and gazing up into mine while his enticing lips were parted ever-so slightly while he had murmured my name, "did you enjoy having dinner with me?"

"Yes," I answered honestly and as equally soft back to him as I observed how he was intimately taking in my much more rugged and chiseled features with affectionate, adoring lowered eyes that made me, in turn, unable to look away from him.

"Byakuya," he breathed again as he slowly scooted the last possible inch between us so that I could feel his chest press firmly into the side of my arm and his thighs against one of my own, "will you kiss me…please…"

The next instant, I mindlessly, hastily turned to directly face him while I took hold of the side of his face with my left hand and all but crushed our lips together – there being absolutely no kind of resistance in his movements at all as I tilted his head back with my grasping hand and brought him even closer to me to deepen our passion-filled, meaningful kiss.

His airy, desperate words to me had thoroughly destroyed what was left of my personal barriers, and I knew that I could not resist him asking for a kiss, even if I had wanted to, thereby making me feel nothing but pure, silken bliss as our lips melded together and he easily let me dominate him and his petal-soft mouth that eagerly obeyed my every wish and whim.

Green and grey eyes kept closed, my gun-calloused hand held gently onto the side of his small, smooth face as I felt his slender fingers squeeze and cling to my other arm that was still firmly planted on top of the couch cushion – his actions all but begging for me to continue and do more with him while his naturally sweet, addicting taste beckoning me all the more.

Loosening my hold on his jaw, I used my own lips to part his own before I sensually slid my tongue inside his warm, inviting mouth, already in love with the barely audible groan that sounded deep in his throat as I leisurely stroked my tongue across his before luring it into my mouth to lightly suck and kiss.

His grip tightened on my arm like a silent lustful, plead while felt him purr for me again as I slowly teased his tongue with long, methodic sweeps from my own; my own body starting to heat up and weaken at the seams from such loving and torturous ministrations – this very kiss more than serving as a cruel taunt to each other's sex as I could already discern that he would be very willing and easily manipulated in bed and would let me do exactly as I pleased with him.

Our sweet, careful kiss was maddening in its own right; its temptation far too powerful against my lacking, disintegrating defensives; and I knew that if it continued that I was sure to lose my mind…something I knew I could not allow to happen with him just yet.

Breaking off our rushed but then slowed-down kiss that threatened to turn my bones into water and senses into faded memory, both of us took a much-needed breath while still keeping close as I tenderly stroked the pad of my thumb over his round cheekbone; just observing all of his stunning features for any hint of regret or remorse about what we had just done.

There was none – only the half-lidded and stirringly desperate eyes of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen peering right back at me with his fingers still tight on my arm as if to keep me there forever; to never stop what we had just started.

I licked my lips involuntarily before I carefully let my hand slide down Ulquiorra's slightly flushed cheek; my mind trying to recollect and analyze logically what I needed to do next…before something like that happened again and I was no longer able to think logically.

"…I should go," I said with evident displeasure in my voice; my decision clearly going against what choice of action I actually preferred over the one I had just voiced.

Pale, white fingers hesitated before sliding off my arm, sadness present in their touch and the way that he had let go of me, as Ulquiorra swallowed and then said timidly, "Oh…okay. But, um…am I ever…going to see you again?"

My melted heart swelled at such an endearing question and my eyes softened remarkably as I held his hurt, worried gaze with my own.

"I imagine you will," I replied with a authentically touched half-smile gracing my lips before I stood up, grabbed my guns and jacket from atop of the couch, and then smoothly showed myself out of his apartment; effectively leaving him with my taste still on his pale lips and my hopeful, promising words still filling the room.

As soon as I was on the other side of that white door; like a doorway to another dimension where I was not as I thought and nothing was as I currently knew it; I instantly sighed out the air I had been unconsciously holding before I quickly, deftly flung my leather gun straps around my shoulders and then slipped my light-weight black suit jacket on – my hazed, thoroughly rattled mind not agreeing with me in the least about succumbing back to my old, usual self again that had to wear such things, be concerned about virtually everything, and go about life in a way that was nothing but cruel.

How could I go back to all that after having seen and felt what I had this night?

How could I willingly go back to the source of all my pain when absolute bliss was just on the other side of this door?

Feeling certain that I was not too certain about a whole lot anymore, I stepped away from Ulquiorra's apartment and proceeded on exiting his building and, once again, immersing myself in the familiar, strangely comforting blankets of solitary, unpredictable night…a night, however, that I could not help but also deem as being…spectacular.

One thing was crystal clear to me, however, and that was that as soon as I got home, I knew I was going to continue drinking.

_Author's Note_: Huzzah! XD Got another one done. Yes! Stay tuned for the next chapter - it's going to be a whopper that no one is going to see coming...fufufu.


	4. Chapter 4

"_When a man is at his wits' end, it is not a cowardly thing to pray; it is the only way he can get in touch with Reality."_ - Oswald Chambers

Chapter Four

_**Byakuya's POV**_

Four days later…

_Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name…_

My back was pressed up against the freezing outside wall on the northwest side of the stone-white and auburn designed manor; my quiet breath leaving my mouth in wispy, white puffs that dissipated into the inky claims of night as my gloved right hand gripped my Browning 9 x 19 millimeter handgun that I had pointed to the sky and kept close to my body...as I just listened patiently to the sounds coming from my right.

I knew I was in enemy terrority, and that any one of the people here would not even hesitate to put a bullet in between my eyes.

I also knew that I had a job to do…and would see it through no matter that the cost…just like all the other times before.

_Thy kingdom come…_

Sucking in a bit of the chilly nighttime air to hold in my lungs before I moved, I quickly launched myself off that icy wall; whipping around within the blink of an eye once I was certain I knew exactly where the two, loud-mouthed guards were on this end of the grand estate that housed many members of a rival Kyoutou. Two shots were fired from my silenced gun that easily took them down as two thuds sounded once their dead corpses hit the paved, stone walkway which they had been patrolling.

_Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…_

Keeping to the shadows, I used the garden-encased northwest entrance and slipped inside the expensively furnished building and soundlessly closed the door with my other gloved hand – my fully black suit allowing me to easily disappear into the murky depths that such large, unlit spaces could provide within the house as I quickly adhered my back to a darkened wall and felt out to my left for the door that I already knew was there.

If my previous calculations were correct, I had forty-six seconds until the guards from the west gate discovered their two dead men on the ground. I needed to make this quick…

_Give us this day our daily bread…_

Sliding open the traditional Japanese shoji, I calmed down my pace as I knew that at this late hour, my target would be enjoying his sake with only a limited number of guards that were to be stationed in the opposite room from where I was – all of them carrying double action, semi-automatic Jericho 941 millimeter firearms.

Now inside the dimly lit but elegantly decorated washitsu, I instantly noticed that my earlier assessment about their leader here had been right, making me not surprised in the least to see my aged, peaceful-looking target sitting on his tatami flooring with his ring-littered hands holding a white, ceramic sake cup that he had just lowered from his mouth upon my entering.

My eyes narrowed in unbridled, ungrounded disgust and I pointed the gleaming silver barrel of my deadly, large handgun at his forehead while he only lifted his tired, indifferent gaze up to my highly trained and gravely serious form before him.

_And forgive us our trespasses…_

"God forgive me…" I breathed…before…

_As we forgive those who trespass against us…_

_Pow!_

"Ugh!" I groaned through tightly grit teeth as I suddenly dropped to one knee, clutching my right side that had just been shot from somewhere behind me; blinding white-hot pain overwhelming and scorching through me for a moment as I just breathed heavily and felt my own blood wet my gripping hand and start to run down my hip.

I had miscalculated; there had been one guard kept in this room with his boss after all!

From above me, I saw my smug-looking target rise to his feet and make a certain gesture with an outstretched, wrinkled hand; my mind instantly deducing that he had probably just told my shooter to finish me off.

"Sorry, 'assassin,'" the old man mocked my kneeling, bleeding form with a cold voice as I still could not move right away from the staggering, debilitating pain of what I assessed was just a flesh wound along my side…but a deep one at that, "but this is where your stay with us ends."

Knowing that I did not have a moment to spare, still keeping both of my assailants' degree-based locations tingling in my cognizant senses of space and variables, I made a quick dodge to the left; pulling out of my other gun from the inside of my bloodied, black jacket – the sound of another un-muffled bullet whizzed by me with all its deadly force and potential just as I had made the evasive action.

Still kneeling on my one knee and now with both of my precious guns in my hands, I keenly crossed my arms in front of my face; making both of my barrels point in such a way and in such a direction that I knew I would hit both of them with single shots from each.

_Pew! Pew!_

"Ha…ha…ha…"I labored to breathe as I started to sweat, my peripheral vision starting to blur a bit from my blood rapidly leaving me, making me start to have the beginning effects of tunnel vision; my legs making a valiant push to the ground so I may stand up on both feet; just as my target and his hidden accomplice behind me thudded lifelessly to the matted, unforgiving ground as well.

I never made mistakes; I never miscalculated.

How the hell could this have happened?

Still holding both of my guns in my hands with my fingers on the triggers, and not intending on letting go of them until I was safely out of this place, I kept my right hand firmly pressed against my burning, insanely painful wound on my side as I only took a moment more to contemplate such inconceivable circumstances while the smell of used gunpowder and blood started to violently assault my senses.

I needed to get out of here fast.

_And lead us not into temptation…_

"Hey, you! Stop right there!!" one of the black-clad, faceless guards from the adjacent room suddenly shouted in a gruff voice upon coming into the opening to the room, fumbling a bit as he tried to draw his gun in too much of a hurry from his right inside pocket – my own arm raising automatically and steadily pointing my increasingly heavy handgun right at his center.

"I'm sorry…Ulquiorra," I whispered quietly before squeezing the trigger.

_But deliver us from evil. Amen._

X

_**Ulquiorra's POV**_

"Now where did I…ah, yes; there it is!" I said aloud to no one in particular as I gathered up more of my painting supplies so I could start a new painting at last – a smile fixed on my face as I was rather excited about engaging in a new piece of artwork as every time felt like I was just discovering the craft all over again.

I was currently wearing a fitted, dark green hoodie that I kept the sleeves pulled up my forearms and plain black cotton pants as I moved about the house and got things situated after I had just finished cleaning up things from dinner; both of my clothing choices were admittedly quite old which made me not care a whole lot should they get painted up and dirtied in the process of my painting another one of my pictures.

From the spare room my apartment had which was located down the hallway and on the left, I had already dragged out a large, white drop cloth, my medium-sized wooden easel and a variety of base paints that I knew I would need – a certain image in my head that I knew I wanted to get down on a canvas as soon as possible.

In the living room, I had already laid out the drop cloth to catch any spills and droplets of paint that might occur and had set down the easel in such a spot that overlooked the city skyline that was becoming almost a full navy-black that looked like it almost could be a fuzzy, velvet texture right above my head.

I always painted next to my view of the city I loved so much as the calm, relaxing scene often served as a poignant source of personal inspiration and ideas for my pictures – usually for the paintings that ended up selling the best in the end.

Brushes of all different shapes, sizes, and ages were piled up on the drop cloth next to the easel; also accompanying a few of my best tubes of paint that rarely got used; as some of the smaller, thinner brushes were in my hand as I was still trying to think of what else I would need before I could get started – my thoughts and actions resembling that of a crazy person at the moment as I was sort of under the influence of self-motivation to create something beautiful, which meant that everything was circulating way too fast for my brain to comprehend fully.

"Alright, so let's see…"I continued to ramble to myself as I thought critically about my newest painting and exactly how I wanted it to be, "I think I'll use one of the bigger canvases…maybe the forty by fifty-five centimeter one! Ooh, that's going to turn out really…"

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

"Jesus…that…scared the hell out of me," I commented somewhat light-heartedly to myself after, honestly, jumping up in terror from suddenly hearing my front door being banged upon so brutally.

Who could that be at a time like this?

"I'll be right there!" I called before sort of mentally struggling for a moment about what action I should do first – my choices being to open the door, put down what was in my hand, or tie up my hair like I had been wanting to.

Rather theatrically but no less thoroughly put off from a disturbance at such a late hour and while I was busy preparing to paint, I sighed aloud exasperatedly and hurried to place the paint brushes I hand in my hand down on the drop cloth to join the others that were there before heading towards the door.

_Bam! Bam!_

_...Thud!!_

Upon hearing my door receive such harsh treatment again, I was about to call out to the person once more that I was on my way; my hands diving into my unruly, messy black locks to pull as much as I could back into a short ponytail; but after hearing a certain type of solid thudding that was not against the door, I froze with my hands still in my hair and my eyes wide open in surprise.

Thoughts in disarray fear starting to creep up on me while I was more than a little confused, I suddenly resolved to make a rapid dash to the door; my hair getting hastily put up in the process; before I flung the large, wooden door open as soon as I reached it without hesitation.

"B-Byakuya!!!" I shouted hoarsely, for my throat was already threatening to close up as dreadful, heavy tears starting welling up in my eyes as I stared in disbelief and horror at the terrible sight before me.

Lying on his back with both of his legs bent to one side was Kuchiki Bykuya, blood splattered across the right side of his face while his solid black clothes were positively soaked in the frightening liquid – his right hand pressing against his right side as he lay unconscious on the maroon-carpeted the hallway of my apartment complex.

My hands shot to my mouth as my tears did fall down my cheeks in warm, salty trails, before I quickly dove to his side and frantically laid my hands upon him as I stammered endlessly, "Oh my God, okay…it's going to be okay, I got you now…it…it's going to be okay…"

His paled face was that of peace, but I knew that Byakuya had probably just sustained an unimaginable amount of pain recently; judging but how much blood there was on him and stained on his suit jacket and pants…the sight of which continued to make my heart clench uncomfortably tight inside my chest and make my tears fall even faster.

Picking up and swinging one of his heavy arms around my shoulders, I planted my feet firmly against the carpeted ground, murmurs of promises still pouring out of my mouth to him, before I slowly hoisted his much larger form up and made it to where most of his weight could lean against me so I could effectively drag him inside my apartment.

"I gotcha…everything's all right now…just…just hang in there…"I continued, more to myself than to the passed-out man in my arms as I strained to lay him down as gingerly as I could on my couch once we were inside.

Byakuya's long, black bangs angled his handsome, godlike face as they moved into his eyes as soon as I dropped him onto my pristine, white couch – my mind too caught up and jumbled, however, in how attractive he looked, how thoroughly frightened I was at the situation, and how I really did not know what to do next.

"Ugh, what do I do now? What the hell do I do now!?" I started to panic, my blood pressure dangerously elevated as I could not tear my eyes away from the beautiful but wounded man currently laying on my couch and bleeding…

The blood!

I needed to find out where the blood was coming from, and before that, I definitely needed to get some blankets, towels, rubbing alcohol, gauze, and about a half a dozen other things that my mind was currently listing off as fast as possible.

Suddenly with a clearer understanding of what I needed to do right this moment for this man, I bolted off into the master bathroom to fetch an array of first-aid supplies that I prayed were still there; anything I could find, really; before making a beeline to my bedroom to grab the first, few blankets that happened to be within reach.

Rushing back into the living room, I approached the couch where Byakuya was and carefully dropped to my knees before him; setting all of the items in my arms down onto the floor so I may start helping him.

"Okay...let's see…"I puzzled for a moment, my nerves far too rattled at this point while my mind was definitely dreading the worst...such as Byakuya dying in a matter of moments right in front of me.

As my fingers worked to slip off Byakuya's sleek, black suit jacket, I could not help but notice how Byakuya's breathing was extremely shallow and forced; making my panic want to overload me once again until I made my will power completely shove those feelings away so I could act appropriately and not allow this man to die like this.

I swallowed in frenzied hesitation as I carefully undid all the buttons down his long-sleeved shirt before I parted the fine, thin material from his pale, toned body – my watery eyes instantly widening at the sight that was flooding my vision and making my head completely drawn a blank.

The first thing I noticed was how there were large, traditional Japanese tattoos covering Byakuya's broad, muscled shoulders and biceps with lines of thick black that, no doubt, acted as a background to a much larger picture that I suspected was on his back – the second thing I noticed was how much he was scarred up.

Taut and excruciatingly honed muscle had line after line of pink, repaired flesh that had been previously mangled in various places, and in such a way that I could only conclude had to have been from weapons…and gunfire – his bloodied right side, though, adamantly catching my attention as my fear severely increased upon seeing a jaggedly-torn, gaping wound across his first, two ribs.

"Needle! I got…to find…a damn…needle or something…" I said aloud as I tore my eyes away from his sculpt body that served more like a riddle to me than anything else at the moment, to begin looking through the supplies that I had brought with me from my bathroom – my judgment already yelling at me that I needed to try my best to sew up that wound he had so it could close up and stop bleeding.

I needed him to be okay.

I knew that I really did not know too much about this man or what on earth could have made him this way, but I did know one thing that was just blatantly unwavering – I needed to save him this time!

He had come here in his hour of need, and by God, I was going to do my best to help this man who had saved me only eight days ago.

I would not accept anything less…I needed for him to be okay, and then I could be okay.

Oh my God, there was so much blood everywhere…

"You just hang on…you hear me, Kuchiki Byakuya?" I said to him again, fresh tears starting to run down my dampened cheeks as I readied a needle, thread, and alcohol to start tending to his vicious-looking wound, the source of all his major bleeding, while I willed my hands not to shake and my resolve to remain painstakingly intact at such a dire time, "…you…don't get to die, okay? Please…just hang on…for me..."

X

_**Byakuya's POV**_

Consciousness, in all of its relentless and unmerciful tidings, slowly crept back to me as I sniffed in a bit of air while I moved my tongue around the inside of my dried mouth, wetting the cavern as best as I could, before my hazed but returning senses picked up on the strangest of sounds…

"...please God…please! You can't…you can't, it's not his time yet…please don't take Byakuya away from me…please, God…please not yet…"was sobbed painfully, pitifully; all of it muffled and strained and just so utterly desperate sounding…just like all my prayers at Saint John's.

"Can't…breathe," I commented hoarsely while still keeping my eyes closed – the instant my voice sounded, though, the weight on my chest disappeared.

Now, I slowly opened my tired half-lidded eyes, my eyesight needing a moment to adjust before I could properly take in the painful, disheartening sight before me; making me realize and remember too many things at once with a dreadful weight settling in a corner of my heart.

Ulquiorra still had his arms resting across my exposed stomach as he sat on his knees my side as I was apparently lying on his familiar, white couch; my chest damp with his many, warm tears as the smaller man had obviously been crying on top of me…hence how I could not breathe at first.

His round, cherub face and bright green eyes looked haggard yet shocked as he gazed at me in clear surprise and relief – his hands trembling a bit on my stomach as he just looked right into my eyes for a moment before moving or saying anything.

"Byakuya…you're awake…"Ulquiorra said as he tried not to let his voice crack too much before he inched closer to me and placed both of his hands on either side of my face; tears coming back to his lovely eyes…but not out of fear this time.

I watched as Ulquiorra lowered his head down to mine and slowly closed his watery, emotion-filled eyes; his hands warm and comforting on my cheeks; while he held me steady and carefully pressed his soft, supple lips to mine.

His kiss was simple but it was enough to instantly make me relax and that certain amount of dread in my heart to vanish; Ulquiorra keeping his hands on my face while he touched his forehead to mine and just sort of kept me close – his breathing was clumsy and shaky against my flesh and it made me close my eyes somberly again.

I wanted to lift my arms and embrace him, but I could already feel that such an action would prove detrimental to the damage that I had sustained – my body still in so much agonizing pain, though I was careful not to show it too much.

"Byakuya…"Ulquiorra whispered to me, a certain amount of gravity in his voice capturing my undivided attention as I noticed that he chose to keep his eyes closed, "…I need answers."

I swallowed hard…but I knew that he was right, and that I, in turn, owed him a few explanations as well.

He had taken care of me without knowing the situation at all…and now I felt like he deserved to know the terrible circumstances in which I am involved.

I sighed heavily as Ulquiorra ran his fingertips down my cheeks before retracting his hands completely and sitting up straight so he could look me in the eye and regain a little distance between us – all kinds of anxiety and total trepidation claiming the better of me as I let it weigh down on me fully that Ulquiorra might never want to see me again after I tell him the truth.

I licked my parched lips before asking quietly, glumly, "What would you like to know?"

"Your back…is covered in tattoos. I saw them when I had to wrap the bandages around you, "Ulquiorra began with evident reservation but genuine determination present in his small, pure voice…something in its own right that was making my heart break, "…what do they mean?"

I sighed again.

He probably could already guess the answer to his own question, but he just wanted me to confirm his suspicions, I supposed.

On the whole left side of my back was the coiling, fierce image of a traditional Japanese black dragon with his fangs bared and red highlights along some of its scales, while the right side of my back was that of an extravagantly-armored samurai with his long sword in both of his hands raised up high, ready to strike – both figures as adversaries as they intended to battle and kill each other against a black-cloud background that reached up and over my shoulders and around the tops of my arms.

In various places, pink and white sakura flowers and single petals spotted the entire image of my dragon and samurai tattoo; filling up empty spaces and bringing in a softer tone to the violent scene my back constantly displayed – one of eternal strife and hardship while one was desperate to overtake the other. The ferocious, bloodthirsty dragon symbolizing my personal demons, my every problem manifested while the fighting, battle-hardened samurai was my very resolve, my internal attempt to deal with everything that was bad in my life; their depicted battle against one another symbolizing my personal conflict I faced every day between what I did and what I believed.

Now or never…and it had been such a wonderful dream I had been having with him, but I should have known that things do not work out for people like me…not like this.

"I had to get them…well, most of them," I confessed as I refused to meet his eyes and instead observed the blue and grey-woven blanket that was covering my lower half that I surmised was clothed only in my charcoal-grey boxers from the feel of it, "…they are…yakuza tattoos."

I did not dare look at his face right now, for out of my peripheral vision could I still see his vibrant eyes widen and his precious, pale lips open in unrestrained shock at my words.

"W-which…yakuza?" he inquired though the strength of his voice was already beginning to leave him and be replaced by something else…something more painful for me to hear.

"The White Night Kyoutou," I said simply, really not wanting to explain any further on my answers should he fail to ask for it.

"How…how long!?" Ulquiorra sort of shrieked in fright, making me wince and cast my gaze on the white, plush pillows of the couch I was on; studying them as if my life depended upon it.

This question…was not an easy one to answer, and I realized that I had better explain myself after all – the realization itself only serving to make me feel even farther away from him.

I closed my eyes, tired of blatantly trying to avoid his upset, confused gaze that I knew would sink even deeper in me than that damn bullet had, as I confessed remorsefully, "Fifteen years. I got involved with them when I was seventeen years old, just doing odd jobs for the rest of the members. When I turned twenty, the leader…Yamamoto-sama took me under his wing and trained me to do…what I do…"

"And just what is it…that you do?!" Ulquiorra sobbed brokenly to me as he stood up, clearly showing that he was starting to be wary of me; making my broken heart burn uncomfortably inside my chest

"Ulquiorra, I…I don't want you to be scared of me," I admitted, finally turning my head towards his standing, shaking form as my own ash-colored eyes looked heavily at the burdening sight of his wrapping his arms around himself in a vain attempt to try to get himself under control and feel a little safer.

"No, you n-need to answer my question...right now…a-and then I'll decide if I'm scared of you or not," Ulquiorra stated as his fingers tightened against his own arms to act as some kind of comfort and encouragement to go ahead and say what he had to me.

I winced again, frowning the whole time as my mind was thoroughly torn between telling him the truth, lying to him unjustly, or how maybe I should just walk away from him and spare us both further pain…I was so confused, unconfident, and frightened of what I was really doing to this poor, kind-hearted man.

"…p-please…"Ulquiorra added quietly, adding the final nail in my coffin as I felt my every resolve to go about this with him unscathed wholly crumble into fragmented, excruciating pieces of pure guilt and pointed self-loathing.

Under so much tension and stress, my bandaged wound on my right side was throbbing with white-hot pain, and I reached my left hand around to apply pressure to the spot as I scrunched up my face and ultimately made one of the hardest decisions I had ever had to make.

"I…assassinate…whoever Yamamoto-sama tells me to…"I said through a hoarse throat and with my eyes squeezed closed as I gripped my injured side and just tried to deal with the insufferable effects of not having proper medication and pain treatment with such a horrid wound.

Silence…

Treacherous, frightening silence followed my words…but I was in too much pain to think about too much else other than just noticing that Ulquiorra had yet to say anything.

"Oh my God…"Ulquiorra murmured at last, more to himself than to me perhaps, as I heard the ruffling of his clothes indicate that he had freed his lithe, slender arms from around himself and now had his hands up by his mouth.

Debilitating pain still riddling throughout my body, I still opened my eyes, my breathing somewhat harsh out of my mouth, as I sought him out once more…I just wanted to look at him…one last time.

Pale, delicate hands...hands that had never known violence nor should not have to…were clasped over his mouth and nose and I could see those beautiful, hurt eyes shed even more tears that sinfully glided down those lovably cyan steaks down his cheeks…the sight making my chest swell with the urge to cry with him as well.

"Just how…how many people have you killed?" Ulquiorra asked simply after he dropped his hands and sniffed back another desire to weep again – his eyes on my face but not looking into my saddened, dark eyes.

My pain was slowly subsiding and my nerves were more than shattered at this point, and I swallowed some spit that had collected in my throat before replying honestly; my eyes still lingering and gazing softly on his form as I kept my head turned his way; "Two-hundred and seventy-three."

The objectives of my missions were always clear: only kill the named target. Rarely had I ever had to shoot my way out of a tight spot, like I unfortunately had to last night, since it was my assigned, trained duty to slip inside places undetected, assassinate only whom I had set out to kill, and then leave with no problems whatsoever. My missions were all about stealth, initiating a quick kill so nothing could really be traced back to the White Night Kyoutou as my target's subordinates would only realize that their leader was dead the next morning when they would be ordered to retrieve him for something.

With these kinds of provisions and circumstances under which I solely worked, it was no wonder why my number of assassinations was not up in the thousands considering how long I had served in the White Night.

Ulquiorra stilled upon hearing my words, though, and my longing expression melted into that of sorrow as I dropped my gaze…before…

Suddenly, Ulquiorra rushed to my side and dropped to his knees again; his slender fingers automatically grabbing at my broad, large shoulders as his eyes displayed such desperation; such frantic, gripping pleading as my own eyes widened in shock at his abrupt and unexpected move to get closer to me.

"Tell me you're lying…"Ulquiorra all but choked as new tears threatening to splash onto my chest from his sobbing, distressed face as he pressed kiss after kiss to my forehead, my left temple, my cheek, "tell me that you just made all of that stuff up…please…tell me that you were lying just now…I can't…I can't believe something like that…not you…"

Feeling his petal-soft lips against my skin again, coupled with hearing his words, words of utter despair from someone so broken, I slowly freed my hands from underneath my blankets and carefully brought them to his face – every fiber of my being feeling as though I had lost something vital that I would never be able to regain again.

His eyes seemed to light up with a bit of hope when I had placed my hands along his jaw line, cradling his face with my much larger palms as my fingertips delved into his messy black locks that had not quite made it up into that pony-tail of his – a small, sad smile gracing my lips before I gently pressed them to one of his cheeks with the utmost care.

I heard his breath hitch in his throat as I pulled my lips away from his soft, tender flesh; the pads of my thumbs already working to soothingly rub away the many lines of his tears from his cheekbones; before I replied, heavy-hearted, "I would never hurt you, Ulquiorra. I'm sorry…I know I…don't deserve you."

I knew that he would realize that I could not confirm his pleadings and tell him that I had been lying to him the whole time, thereby meaning that everything I had told him…had been the unfortunate truth.

I closed my eyes mournfully as I let my hands gingerly trail down his cheeks until I took them away from him; my every sense and realistic nature positively screaming at me that I should probably leave him, despite any kind of condition I may be in at the moment…I could not handle his let-down expression any longer and I truly wanted him to start feeling better as soon as possible as well; something I highly doubted would happen if I was still with him.

Cautiously, I used my right hand to lift up the few, mismatched blankets that were covering me as I mindfully swung my legs over the side of the couch before making to stand up – every movement painful but manageable to a man desperate to do something right amongst so much wrong.

I had just stood up, my ribcage completely wrapped with thick, white bandages, and was about to take my first step around the couch to get my clothes that I assumed might be in the bathroom, when I heard the sweetest, most life-giving sound that I was sure had come from an angel.

"Wait," Ulquiorra sort of squeaked to me, halting my momentum straight away; his small frame still kneeling in front of the couch and next to where I was now standing, albeit with some difficulty since my wound was under the strain of my bodyweight like this.

To my absolute amazement, Ulquiorra stood up with his hands down at his sides, no longer displaying that he was frightened and unsure like before; us being next to each other but facing opposite directions; as he murmured, "I…don't want you to leave."

My eyes widened considerably as my lips parted in incomprehension as I had my sight trained exclusively on him and nothing else from the side – Ulquiorra obviously catching onto how I was gaping at him since he slowly turned to face me – his features no longer broken as they now were firmer in resolve and certainty though his furrowed brows did alert me that he was still hugely upset and distressed…just no longer terrified for his life like he had been a little while ago.

I could not take my eyes off of him as I turned to face his smaller stature as well; my mind obsessed with how he was not screaming endlessly at me and threatening to call the authorities or even to try to kill me himself.

No, he was somehow looking passed all that and I could not break his gaze for anything.

I watched as Ulquiorra took cautious, measured steps towards me until he was standing right in front of me; his pale, white hands coming up slowly until he rested them against my chest; his head lowered while he obviously thought about what he wanted to say to me.

Lovingly, I kept my dark eyes on his bowed, troubled head; his soft hands on the hard, muscled planes of my chest were positively burning right through my flesh and reaching far into my soul; until Ulquiorra lifted his face to peer up into mine.

"I don't know why…" Ulquiorra began, his every word heavy and meaningful and feeling like I had received the grace of God, "…you tell me all those horrible things…that you've…killed people, but still I…I don't want you to leave. I don't want to just send you away and never see you again…I don't…know why…"

My heart had been thudding painfully inside my chest all this time, but I dare not move a muscle, much less lift a hand yet for fear that I still might scare him and cause him to rethink what he was telling me. I mentally affirmed that the best thing I could do was just let him do whatever he needs to – if he needed to hit me, so be it; I would not even try to so much as touch his pale cheek affectionately before or after so I may fully allow him to do whatever he pleased.

However, no such blow came…just…his eyes closely examining mine while he kept his hands flat on my chest and his lithe, perfect body so very close to my own.

"Ulquiorra, I…" I trailed off, too mindless, confused, and more than stunned to properly form an intelligent, insightful answer to a rapidly fading problem…a revelation that was causing more and more stress and weight to disappear from within me; making my very soul feel renewed and…forgiven.

I gulped at the intensity of his gaze before I felt his hands slide off from my heated flesh and saw him sort of angle his body towards the opposite way from where I had been intending to walk.

"I'll go run you a bath," Ulquiorra stated calmly, firmly before walking in the direction that he had previously indicated he was going to go; the move prompting me to follow after him at once and not let such magnificent and baffling grace slip passed me.

Inside Ulquiorra's master bathroom with white and pea-colored walls with light-blue touches here and there, I patiently waited in the doorway while Ulquiorra was busy testing the temperature of the water that filled his pristine white tub with his fingertips until he was certain that it was too hot to bother my wound but warm enough to where I would not develop a chill.

After a little shake of his wet fingers, Ulquiorra straightened his spine and looked towards me, making me take another step inside the adequately-size washroom – my every plausible thought registering that now that the water was suitable, Ulquiorra would leave and give me some privacy in which to take my much-needed bath.

I gasped, then, as I saw Ulquiorra latch his first two fingers of his left hand onto the zipper of his green hoodie and effortlessly pull the tiny piece of metal down the front, the garment being easily discarded once he pulled it down and off his slender arms.

I was a second away from asking Ulquiorra what he thought he was doing, but quickly decided to hold my tongue and not question him in the least – the same rationale striking me from before when I would have gladly accepted his punches of rage if he had pleased.

However, I did surmise that I did not deserve to see Ulquiorra naked, so I quickly averted my gaze to the tub and all of the various, colored bottles of sweet-smelling product that were stacked up on a few of the ceramic tub corners.

My hands lifted to my boxers, my thumbs just having enough time to sink inside the top hem so I may pull the thin material down my legs, but I froze upon feeling Ulquiorra lightly press himself to my side – his own fingers replacing my own as he took a gentle hold of the only fabric I had on.

I shivered once I felt tender, loving lips press into my shoulder, and I craned my sore neck back upon feeling Ulquiorra slowly pull down my boxers for me; his naked body pressing harder and harder into my uninjured side as he worked, making any residual tension I might have had from earlier totally disintegrate into a pleasant, cleansing nothingness that I could not help but welcome all-too eagerly.

"Ulquiorra…you shouldn't…"I started softly, not really knowing how I would have finished my sentence anyhow; my head tilting back down as I began to speak before Ulquiorra gently cut me off.

"I know I shouldn't be doing this, but…"Ulquiorra answered before pressing another, soul-replenishing kiss to my tattooed arm by his side, "…I just want to. I want to be with you…no matter what."

As I turned to look at him, my face of pure, heart-felt gratitude, he lingeringly pulled his body away from me and I watched his beautiful, captivating form step into the tub and slip down into the scented water below.

I knew my mouth was hanging open, but I did not care – his words had moved me too much and then seeing such unimaginable beauty had thoroughly shaken me down to my core; replacing all my strife and anguish I had been previously feeling up to now just remarkably transform into something so much better.

"Come here," Ulquiorra ordered sympathetically as he scooted further up inside the tub so I may have room behind him; my eyes still drinking in the merciful, lovely view of his pallid, ivory skin that the crystal-clear water around him seemed to enhance and make shine like priceless, brilliant marble.

Heedful of my wound, I stepped into the tub behind Ulquiorra, my angel, and winced a bit once I felt the warm water lap at my injury until I relaxed back and let that brief, initial sting fade away, so that all I felt was extreme relief and tranquility. The smooth surface of the tub cradling me, the warm, peace-inviting water around me, cleansing me of all my pain, and with Ulquiorra sitting in between my spread legs in front of me…my mind was in stillness, my everything in harmony as I effectively forgot all my problems.

Further adding to my serenity and overall pleasure, Ulquiorra carefully leaned back against me; my much larger torso all but swallowing up his impossibly fragile one as the soft skin of his pale back met my sturdy, scarred chest – my bent knees on either side of him poking up from the shimmering water.

"Ulquiorra?"I asked dreamily, my eyelids feeling heavier and heavier as I found myself being easily taken into such an immovable sense of calmness that I only prayed would last forever.

"Yes?" my angel replied as I felt him turn his head to the right a little bit against my chest; his silken, black locks tickling me for a second.

"May I hold you?" I asked delicately, needing to know that he would even want something like that before I just went ahead and did it…I needed to know that he would be okay with it…I would not screw up anymore than I already had.

"Please...Byakuya…"Ulquiorra cooed from in front of me with his small voice, "I want you to."

No more needed to be said and I lifted my tattooed arms out of the water and wrapped them around Ulquiorra's body; hugging him gradually tighter to me; as I slipped my eyes shut and took a deep, thankful breath…all of my stress completely gone.

This felt so right; I never wanted to let go of this precious person in my arms…someone whose mercy and benevolence knew no bounds if he could forgive a sinner such as myself – I never wanted to lose that light in my life.

Slender, dripping arms were placed on top of my larger ones around him as he held onto me as I held onto him – such a gesture warming my heart and making my dip my head to touch my lips to his small shoulder.

I pressed kiss after appreciative kiss to that sheet-white shoulder pressed against me; loving every time Ulquiorra hummed in his throat or slightly shifted his weight in my arms; before raising my head and delicately kissing the side of Ulquiorra's long, graceful neck; me breathing in his wonderful, addictive scent the entire time in everlasting gratitude and humility.

"Byakuya…"Ulquiorra suddenly whined breathlessly to me as I continued to sift through his short, black locks with my nose, "…do you love me...even…just a little?"

I did not even have to stop what I was doing for no surprise befell me from hearing him ask me that – my answer already swimming in my head and burning on my tongue to confess to him truthfully what was in my heart, my soul, and in such a mentally depleted, stress-free state that I was in…I had no reservations whatsoever as thoughts of consequences just did not even exist to me at the moment.

"You have no idea how much I love you, Ulquiorra," I whispered lowly into his ear as I let my lips ghost over the outer shell of his ear affectionately, already feeling his slender frame shiver deliciously in my arms as I spoke to him, my arms still holding securely onto his trim, warm, and damp form…until…

My arms loosened their hold from around him automatically, as soon as I felt Ulquiorra try to turn around to a side, his body making a full one hundred and eighty degrees until he was lying against me, facing me – my unconsciously held breath sighing out silently as I felt Ulquiorra's slender, white arms encircle around my neck and I saw his lovely green eyes gaze half-lidded up at me.

"Say that again…Byakuya," he purred, his warm breath grazing my flesh as I could not help but relish in how immaculate his perfect, effeminate body felt against my own - how warm and loving his every touch to my skin felt and how I was positively drowning in his lust-filled, needy eyes that were fixated right into my own darker ones.

"I love you," I repeated sincerely as I let my arms once again wrap around him; this time around the tantalizing curve of his back as my hands rested just above his perfect, enticing ass – the added weight of my arms on him pressing his chest even harder into my own and I swear I could finally say that I knew what heaven really was – him.

Everything about him was a miracle, a blessing reserved for only me as my kind stare took in the lovely curves of his unusual but marvelous face as his body against mine was sinfully sweet and making me seriously consider never leaving this bathroom again should he continue to rest against me as he was.

It was far too intoxicating, too precious to someone like me…and I was in unmistakable awe at everything he did.

I saw Ulquiorra visibly swallow, his eyes watching my every somber but content feature before his soaked arms around my neck tightened a bit before he whispered, "Good…because, I couldn't help…falling in love with you too."

Ulquiorra's velvet-smooth lips were gently but firmly pressed to mine as he squeezed me tighter to him; my own hands sliding out of the water as I ran them up his wonderfully curved, lithe back until I stopped just under his arms so I may squeeze his perfect flesh in my hands as well.

Hands freed themselves from across my shoulders as Ulquiorra purred against my lips and brought his fingertips to each side of my face; our one kiss quickly turning into a flurry of many, simple but urgent kisses to the other's lips as Ulquiorra tried to coax and purge all of my previous insecurities and fears with his soft pants of air and delicate mouth against my own, while I just resolved to hold onto him for dear life as my mind silently registered how my years of relentless, faithful praying…were finally being acknowledged.

I never knew a mere mortal could exert such goodness and valor, much resembling that of Christ Jesus who never once let his faith falter even in the face of extreme pain and grief, as Ulquiorra had readily accepted me back into his life with open arms and a gentle kiss after I had been thoroughly certain that I had just lost him permanently – both their courage immeasurable as their degrees of faith in something just could not be shaken; forever resilient even in times of great sorrow.

I could not believe that the thing Ulquiorra had unwavering and resolute faith in…was me.

While I was still quite assured that I did not deserve such unquestioned mercy from someone so faultless, but I could not help but mentally thank God for Ulquiorra all the same – my prayers now of utter appreciation rather than penance and apology for all I had done in the past.

I swore that I would finally earn what I had, what was currently in my arms and had granted me unconditional compassion… I would earn all of it – I had to.

X

_Author's Note_: Gah! This chapter was so effing hard to write…so I hope you all liked it, yes? XD


	5. Chapter 5

"_If I traded it all / If I gave it all away for one thing / Just for one thing / If I sorted it out / If I knew all about this one thing / Wouldn't that be something."_ – Finger Eleven

Chapter Five

_**Byakuya's POV**_

_I could not believe that the one thing Ulquiorra had unwavering and resolute faith in…was me. _

Two days later…

"I would like to leave the White Night Kyoutou, Yamamoto-sama," I said evenly as I continued to sit on my folded legs and peer across the small, drinking table on which were my boss' white, slender bottle and matching cup of sake, "I am willing to take any…necessary precautions that my request should require of me."

At my own words, my right pinky finger twitched against my leg as I was all too cognizant of how in order to leave a yakuza, the person must typically cut off his own finger as payment.

I was willing to go through with that circumstance this very moment should if be asked of me, though.

The aged, wise but moreover cold-blooded leader of the White Night Kyoutou did not even flinch at my blunt request and only proceeded to finish his sip of his fine, rice liquor before regarding me in the least.

Yesterday, I had asked permission to meet with him personally – my reason was that I had something important to discuss with him…and now, the words were finally being exchanged and my idea out in the open.

I remained calm as I kept my hands pressed flat against the tops of my thighs, my eyes fixated on Yamamoto-sama's every move while I could not help but be reminded that he was the leader of this yakuza, and had ordered hundreds and hundreds of men's deaths during his time on the top – why would putting me to death be any different?

In the back of my mind, I almost waited for him to summon someone to suddenly burst through the fine papered doors to take care of me – I would not hesitate with my guns, should that be the case, however…but I really hoped it would not come to that.

This was all for Ulquiorra, though. I was here, after all this time and after all my hard work and infinite dedication to this one cause, this one man, I was here ready to renounce my every claim to it and give up this life entirely.

I knew that I could not continue as I have been while trying to remain with Ulquiorra. He should not have to suffer on my behalf, just because of the terrible things that I do in this world…I knew I needed to remedy that as soon as possible so he and I could be happy together.

I wanted to make everything I did for Ulquiorra now…to finally live for something important.

"And why is that, Kuchiki Byakuya?" Yamamoto-sama spoke up at last, his gruff voice all but rumbling through the small, private room we currently occupied, with its shiny golden shoji confines with patterns of pink, blue, and white fans everywhere encased by dark, treated bamboo borders.

"I was not under the impression that I needed to have a specific reason," I humored him as I bought a little time for myself and tried to get my toppling thoughts in order so I may go about this as smoothly as possible with him, "but I am afraid that I no longer wish to continue being a member of the yakuza."

Yamamoto-sama set his sake cup down with the tiniest of clinks against the table before raising his somber, half-lidded eyes directly to me and stating, "I'm going to be frank with you, Byakuya. At the moment, I do not have anyone else that can do what you do for this Kyoutou. Why would I willingly let go of one of my most valuable assets? That being said, I have to deny your request."

I had heard his words well enough, but as they had continuing; everyone of them aimed at shooting my idea down and any hopes thereof completely; they all sounded like a deafening, maddening blur to me as I felt white-hot rage stir deep inside of me, just daring me internally to let it out in all of its furious glory and gruesome brutality at once.

I took a silent, deep breath through my nose to stay collected – I needed to try a different approach, obviously one with a little more personality and meaning to it.

"I understand that, but sir, " I tried again while now struggling to keep my composure as solid and unwavering as possible while utilizing a lower tone in my voice, "I just don't think…I can do this anymore."

"I've heard enough, Byakuya," he reaffirmed, louder and with a sense of finality and irritation present in his grumbled, heavily timbered voice, "You are still a part of this yakuza and I will not hear another word stating otherwise. Now then, I expect you to be present at the meeting that will be taking place shortly. That is all."

I opened my mouth to say something, anything; too many words of almost child-like protests threatening to escape me; but I only dropped my gaze to my now fisted hands and murmured a clipped, "Yes sir."

I could not believe my request had been denied – the only thing I had ever asked of this man and he had instantly turned it down without a moment's hesitation. Was that all I was to him, then…an asset?!

After all these years, I had always looked up to him as a strict, intelligent father-figure who would know what was best in times of epic chaos while constantly being under numerous pressures; given by how well he had put together our group, trained us, and honed our skills almost like a master chess player who strived to beat their opponent quickly and efficiently.

I had wanted to be like him one day, but now…I saw the truth.

Yamamoto-sama could not have cared less about the likes of his chess pieces; he was only concerned if he could still move them according to his own, selfish desires and motives.

A great leader of a powerful yakuza…but a heartless, tragedy of a man who had not even thoroughly registered how a person of my ill-fated, befallen seniority in this kind of establishment had truly had enough of it all and wanted out, no strings attached – no betrayal, no blackmail attempt, no nothing…just me removing myself from White Night peacefully so I could finally live my life.

I had done so fucking much for that man alone during my time in White Night, always obeying without question no matter what the job was, how utterly impossible and nearly suicidal it had sounded…so why was this so impossible for me?

My rage never went away.

X

Thirty-four minutes later…

"Abarai and Jeagerjaques, " Yamamoto-sama addressed firstly in his usual orders to us all as we stood in front of the old man like the moveable dolls we were, "I have an important mission for you both. You are to intercept the delivery Ichimaru and Izuru have been recently tracking in the Nagano Prefecture. Take care of everyone you come across."

"You got it, old man!" Jeagerjaques almost shouted in his twisted, psychologically-disturbed glee from receiving said green-light to cause another massacre of our Eastern rivals; Renji slightly bowing with at least some kind of respect to us all before the both of them rushed out the white and brown tea room at once to carry out their despicable plans.

My jaw clenched tighter upon hearing them laugh obnoxiously as the red and blue-haired duo made their way out of the lavish corridor beyond our room – my hands fisting automatically inside my pants pockets while it dawned on me briefly that I was not just upset at Renji and Grimmjow's common offensive behavior…I was incensed at the serene, ever-calm face of my boss as he continued to stir his tea even though he had just ordered another twenty or thirty people's deaths this very moment.

"Hey, Byakuya," Gin suddenly piped up merrily from my right side as he continued to grin that horrid, disgusting smile at my displeased form, "I heard that you ran into a bit of trouble on your last mission. I do hope that you are alright…?"

I remained silent, only choosing to avert his pointed, unnerving gaze as I moved my tongue around the inside of my mouth briefly – the very sight of which practically screamed my disgruntled nature I was currently in from him speaking to me…and from what had happened earlier.

I truly was in no mood for Gin's attempts to make conversation with me, as every comment, question, and noise that came out of that man's mouth was never sincere and was always as double-sided as the spy-work he performed. Nothing he said could be trusted or taken at face-value…and my patience and very resolve to remain cool and aloof was already running dangerously thin from my previous bout with Yamamoto-sama.

Yamamoto-sama's every disheartening word and rotten explanation to me when we had met privately was enough to genuinely grate on my every nerve in just the right way to make my blood constantly boil; my thoughts constantly on that of repercussions and bloody scenarios; my very temperament totally change into something akin to…animalistic.

"Ah, nothing to say?" Gin continued, his devil's smirk only spreading across his pale, eerie face as he moved closer to my right and took his hands out of his pockets while my own onyx stare narrowed at the wall out in front me, "Well, I'm sure it was nothing our Byakuya here could not handle…"

After saying what he had, coupled with a seemingly good-natured laugh, Gin rapped his hand against my back hard; enough to force me have to quickly right myself before I stumbled forward too much since my wound on my right side was horribly sore, still in makeshift stitches, and currently bandaged with fresh, white bandages.

My face winced in inescapable pain as my left hand automatically came to clutch at my wound, but fell short as I made to stand up straight from my slightly bent-over position – that same hand instead diving right inside my striped, charcoal grey suit jacket and retrieving one of my heavy, silver Browning 9 x 19 millimeter handguns; my finger hot and tempted on the smooth, crescent-shaped trigger.

In a move fueled by brimming fury and overwhelming frustration, I used my free hand to rush Ichimaru Gin backwards until his back thudded solidly against one of the pristine, white walls behind him; my gleaming, deadly gun right in his face the next instant while I gripped the front of his shirt and bore my heated, black eyes right into his surprised, dark brown ones – his usual cocky smirk no longer there on that smug face of his.

My teeth were gritted almost painfully so, but I managed to growl out, "I'll kill you if you touch me again."

"Byakuya," Yamamoto-sama suddenly said in that loud, booming voice of his that instantly grabs the attention of anyone within earshot; prompting me to turn my head towards my sitting boss while my narrowed eyes still glinted with my every intention of painting that lovely white wall with Gin's brains, "I do not have any tasks for you today. You are dismissed."

My expression of pure hatred gave way only slightly to mild shock as I loosened my grip on Gin's clothing with my one hand while the other slowly put my gun back into the leather holster across my chest; my body straightening up from practically hovering over Ichimaru who had both of his hands up in a classic 'surrender' position.

I snorted once I had released Gin and promptly exited the room after a quick turn on my heel and a slam of the door, my hands quickly working to straighten out my expensive jacket with a sharp tug to the thick fabric once I was in the corridor and away from everyone else – my overworking mind still unfortunately craving to inflict some kind of damage on something and not just settle with how I was 'dismissed.'

Regardless of how angry I had gotten, images of a certain green-eyed, sheet-white man of my dreams kept popping into my head; all of them with him showing me that adorable, shy smile of his; and as I walked, I was beginning to gradually calm down.

Sniffing in a bit of the scented air of the manor I was currently walking out of, I measured my previously hurried steps as I worked on buttoning up the buttons of my suit jacket again…my peace of mind and usual self-tranquility returning to me in waves as I just felt better, thinking of Ulquiorra and remembering how much I loved him.

So, Yamamoto-sama had probably deemed me unfit to carry out any orders today on account of my behavior; and probably in light of our earlier meeting, realistically; but oh well…

Good, in fact, because I really was not fit to carry out orders today in all honesty. It was something I never wanted to do again, and now that I had just been given this 'suspension' day, I could not think of anything else I wanted to do other than see my bright-eyed beauty who was currently waiting for me.

To hell with them all, I had something much better in my life now and I would be damned if I was going to fail to acknowledge my miracle at last.

X

_**Third Person POV**_

Meanwhile…

Back in the tea room of the White Night Kyoutou's headquartered manor, Ichimaru Gin straightened out his pressed but purposefully lengthily-tailored black suit jacket while Yamamoto-sama had his eyes closed in deep thought before he spoke to his remaining subordinate.

Kuchiki Byakuya had just stormed out of the small, plain room after assaulting Gin with one of his large handguns, the move taking the silver-haired spy by complete surprise as he had not expected his typically stoic, handsome co-worker to threaten his very life from a simple joke.

"Well, that was sure unexpected," Gin said in his thickly acidic and sarcastic voice as he still looked towards the door that Kuchiki had just slammed upon exiting, "I wonder what got into him all of a sudden…"

Yamamoto-sama opened his eyes.

"Ichimaru," the aged boss began seriously, making Gin look back towards the stony yakuza leader with his upturned, slitted eyes, "…follow him. Report back to me where he goes."

"It'll be a pleasure, Yamamoto-sama," Gin replied as his face-splitting grin reappeared back on his face; his every double agenda being crystal clear by the way he wickedly smiled upon hearing his new orders and how his relpy had sounded anything but innocent to his unfazed boss before he slipped quietly out of the room.

It had not taken long for Gin to catch up to Byakuya as the silver-haired man had quickly utilized the shadows to move about once outside and a part of the evening-laden city; his predatorial mind already taking into account where certain places of residence and business were located, which would indicate possible routes for his beautiful co-worker to have taken from the manor.

Certain scuffs in the dirt, changes in the air, or the tiniest of noises from out in front of him all practically hollered to Ichimaru, whose sole position in White Night was to track and spy on dangerous, careful people, of where Byakuya was as he had exited through a side entrance of the manor by the gardens, crossed the street, and was currently heading into one of the nicer residential areas on the outskirts of the Downtown District.

"Interesting…"Gin commented softly to himself, amused, as he was deliberate to only catch up to Byakuya to the point where the back of his target was visible only a few times before letting the dark-haired man gain some more distance between them – just so there would be no one in sight should Byakuya even suspect that someone was trailing him.

Byakuya was currently walking on the darkened sidewalk on a street he was very familiar with, his hands in his pockets as his face was kept drectly out in front of him, though his eyes casually watched as he gradually passed tall, large-brick apartment complexes – his mind still on one thing.

Across that very same street and quite a ways back, Gin walked slowly after his silent, deadly gang member; the overly-long tails of his black suit jacket trailing after his every step and swaying in the motion of his stride – fixed, unmoving eyes never leaving Byakuya's skewed viewpoint even for a moment.

"Just where are you going, Byakuya, dear?" Gin commented aloud to himself again as it appeared that Byakuya was just walking aimlessly into the night, purposefully getting lost, or just brooding too much to care…Gin could not tell which one, and his uncertainty about his sexy co-worker only spurned him on that much more to keep following until he finally knew something more about him.

Only a few moments after Gin had voiced his internal question aloud, Gin saw Byakuya slow down his pace…and then start walking up a certain set of stairs located on his right that led up to one of the residential buildings.

Instantly noting the change, Gin mentally remarked how it was the fourth building from the one he was by, as he still needed to catch up, and instantly starting noticing which lights were on in the tall, many-storied apartment building and which ones were not – just seeing if his entrance rendered some kind of change with anything.

Kuchiki Byakuya now through the front door to the ivory and beige-bricked building, Gin quickened his pace; his eyes still watching all of the windows at once in a broad, spacious view…until…

"Oh, now what have we here?" Gin chided with a small chuckle as he now was in front of the appointed building though still remaining on the other side of the street so he could further watch what had just changed.

It had happened almost too quickly for him to catch, but Gin was specially trained to notice these subtle kinds of differences when spying on people from afar, so the silver-haired, grinning man had been able to see how on the third floor, the last window on the left…someone had switched off one of the lights in another, closely-located room before moving across the whole apartment.

Gin could already deduce that that someone already in the apartment had heard a knock on the door, turned off the light in the room they had been previously in so they could enter into the main room to answer the door and receive their guest.

Judging by how the change had been timed too closely to when Byakuya had entered the building, Gin was almost one hundred per cent certain that that was the room in which Byakuya was now in.

Also, this room being on the third floor meant that the beginning of the room number probably started in three, and based on how that room was the last one on the left, it was probably the last one in the row. With a total of four windows spanning across each of the stories, the unknown person whom Byakuya was now visiting had to be in room three-zero-four.

Gin was sure of it.

"Gotcha," Gin remarked wickedly into the chilling evening wind before pulling out a small, white notepad of paper from his coat pocket and jotting a few notes on it – the very source of the report he was all too willing to make to Yamamoto-sama as soon as possible.

Grin twisting his lips into an unnaturally wide smile that oozed with everything wicked in this world, Gin turned on his heel towards the crisp night breeze pushing past the darkening, resting city, and began retracing his steps to head back to where he had come from.

X

Inside apartment three-zero-four of the Hueco Deserts Apartment complex…

_**Byakuya's POV**_

"Dinner was excellent," I called from the kitchen as I washed my hands in the rather large sink along after I had rinsed the remains of the pasta from my plate, "thank you."

"You're very welcome," Ulquiorra cooed with a smile at my back as he leaned against one of the peach-painted walls of his semi-enclosed kitchen, "and you know…I love your hair like that."

I smirked as I rolled my eyes as I reached forward and turned the water off – my hair having been put up on a low pony-tail by Ulquiorra himself before we had settled down to dinner; my long, side-swept bangs still angling across my face.

After snatching up a little dish towel with which to dry my off my hands, I turned around to face my smiling, dreamy-eyed angel as he was blatantly ogling me; my somewhat humbled smirk still in place as I quirked up a thin, black eyebrow at his adorable antics.

"Only when we have noodles for dinner," I humored him with a good-natured smile as I briefly twisted my torso back towards the kitchen counter and sink behind me so I may set down the towel.

At this, Ulquiorra pushed himself off from the wall with a laugh but then pursed his lips playfully at me, his eyes glazing over a bit as they narrowed as he suddenly began taking long but measured steps down his hallway.

My eyes widened as I watched him raise a hand and curl a delicate, white finger towards me a few times, coaxing me, daring me to follow him as he kept his eyes trained on me before he got too far into his steps where he had to face where he was going – my own ash-colored eyes fixated on him and his almost cat-like movements the entire time.

One eyebrow still hiked up at his sudden behavior, I carefully began walking after him down his unlit but still clearly visible and distinguishable corridor; the accents of the peach and crimson paint sticking out to me on both sides of the otherwise white walls on either side of me; until I saw him disappear into the last room on the right.

I took one more step towards the aforementioned room a little ways ahead of me, but stopped at once as I looked down towards the floor – my foot having stepped on something…something soft. I quickly scooped up the thing that had obscured my path down the dim corridor into my hand – my eyes widening and my heart skipping a solid beat upon realizing what it was and what it meant.

In my hand, from the floor to his bedroom, was the grey and white-striped shirt that Ulquiorra had been wearing…that is, until he had stripped it off for me as he lured me further into his abode.

Knowing smirk perking up only one side of my mouth in a predatorial manner, I clutched the small, light garment in my hand before walking the remaining distance of the hallway until I stepped through the open doorway of the room I knew Ulquiorra had entered and without a shirt.

No sooner had I entered the equally unlit bedroom did I suddenly feel Ulquiorra's slender frame press firmly into my much larger one, and with such a force that I was surprisingly backed up into the nearest wall that was right by the door.

Half-lidded, and fierce green eyes were beautiful and startling as Ulquiorra peered up at me as he slid his white, slender hands from my stomach up to my chest; his fingers immediately latching onto the tiny, blue buttons that ran down the front of my untucked dress shirt, and undoing them one by one.

Beyond the short, midnight locks of his hair, I could just barely see the tempting, exquisite curves of his pale back as he kept himself practically adhered to me – my hands raising automatically to take a gentle hold of the sides of his face as I leaned down a bit and slipped my eyes closed.

Rose-petal lips met mine and immediately parted for me as both of our warm tongues connected and swirled together; each wonderful stroke, each drawn-out and purposefully languid lick of his tongue against mine was gradually crumbling my world around me and making forget that anything else even existed as I let his sweet mouth take away all of my problems and tease with my slumbering arousal as I felt pure, hot electricity jolt through my bones every time his breath mixed with mine, every time his lips trembled in the slightest, every time his tongue desperately sought out my own.

Suddenly, impossibly smooth hands slid up from my abdomen, the now loose folds of my navy-colored shirt bunching up at Ulquiorra's wrists as his hands went all the way up to my broad, tattooed shoulders, his fingers clutching onto my bare skin as my shirt fell helplessly to the shadowed floor below.

I groaned deep in my throat as I felt Ulquiorra press himself harder against my chest, his hands hot and needy against my shoulders as my own fingers wove further into his silken, raven hair as I continued to assault his tongue with my own – the feel of his clothed legs and narrow waist against my own was positively making me insane in the most enjoyable of ways.

Slowly, lingeringly, Ulquiorra's hands were pulled away from my shoulders, his lips separating from mine, and all of the pressure from the full length of his slender body was gone from my own as I saw Ulquiorra take a few steps away from me with a sly smile on his lovely, flushed face.

My lips and body tingled uncontrollably for his touch again as I saw him back away from me and gradually turn towards his bed that was a little ways behind him - Ulquiorra only holding up one pointed finger in a classic 'wait right there' gesture.

I pushed myself off from the wall I had been backed up into, but did not move another muscle once I did so – my body used to responding digilently to orders, and I was already in love with taking orders from Ulquiorra.

"Not yet," Ulquiorra stated smartly before taking one last step back; his little smirk still on those lips of his that I could still taste on my own; before placing his hands on the top of his dark-colored pants.

Unconsciously, I licked my lips as my vision went from observing how amazing Ulquiorra looked as his stark white flesh contrasted so heavily with that of his darker jeans against the bleak background of his unlit room, to zeroing in on every, intricate thing that Ulquiorra's fingers did – the way he had to exert the tiniest burst of energy to pull the top button out from the loop on the top hem of his jeans before lowering his fingers even more to take hold of the metal zipper…his fingers working painstakingly slow and I felt my growing erection harden even more at being forced to wait and watch as he performed something so meticulous right in front of me.

Dextrous hands rose again to push his pants down slender, equally pale legs as he wiggled his hips a bit to make the task easier for himself and much more sensous to me, my heart speeding up inside my chest as I could not pry my eyes away from the carved-out-of-heaven beauty that was Ulquiorra Schiffer standing before me – my fingers twitching briefly down at my sides as I was dying to get ahold of that fragile, perfect physique at last.

My eyes narrowed as Ulquiorra's torturing was beginning to have maddening, trying effects on me as I watched my lovely angel saunter up to his massive, white and lavendar-designed bed; his lithe form almost disappearing from my field of vision as he was swallowed up in the numerous pillows and overall comforts of his thick, soft blankets as he layed down on his back but kept himself propped up on his elbows so he could still see me.

"Come here," Ulquiorra purred lowly as he shifted his body a little more against his pallid sheets, apparently anxious about my approaching him as per his words; all of it music to my ears as his order finally granted me what I had been wanting all this time.

The walls of his bedroom were this soothing grey-ish lavender color, trimmed in large and appealing white borders that angled all the way around his spacious, tidy bedroom that contained one, impressive cherry oak armouir in front of the bed against the wall and a matching dresser located on the left side of his bed next to a small nightstand. An adjacent master bathroom was located on the left while glass doors to my right indicated where his closet would be, aside from how there were only a few articles of used clothing on the floor by that area, but all of this information was more than lost to me at the moment as I only saw Ulquiorra sprawled out on his bed, looking at and waiting for only me with such intensity in his eyes that every step I took to get closer to him made my heart soar.

Mindfully, I crawled on top of Ulquiorra's extraordinarily soft mattress, his comforter like gently wrapped clouds under my hands and legs, and over his sheet-white, glowing form; my pants uncomfortably tight against me while Ulquiorra still had on deliciously form-fitting black boxers that I found myself hating tremendously.

Arms were thrown around my neck once I was face-to-face with my stunning angel below me and his lips immediately captured my own as Ulquiorra leaned his delectable body up into me and pressed his smaller chest against mine; a part of my mind still trying to remain cognizant not to crush Ulquiorra while the rest of my senses were swimming in blissful oblivion with having his silken flesh against mine again.

Ulquiorra purred into my mouth, sending more, sharper waves of desire straight into my aching groin, as he sucked wantonly on my bottom lip and ran his hands up and down my arms on either side of his small form – his straight-forwardness and direct nature all but slaughtering whatever remaing urge to keep composed I had left as I was quickly losing to Ulquiorra being so demanding with me.

Zinging mind forcing itself to acknowledge something other than how amazing Ulquiorra's lips felt against mine, I suddenly pulled my parted lips away from his opened mouth and put just a touch more distance in between us so he may see all of me while I spoke to him.

"Wait, wait, hold on…"I breathed out too quickly, my razzed mind and senses trying to piece together a way to intelligently and correctly convey my concern about this situation and the consequences, "I uh…are you sure…that you want this?"

I had posed it as 'this' in my question to him, but what I had meant was…me; I just did not have the stomach to say something like that aloud, especially while looking into those kind eyes and while I could still taste him on my tongue and feel his heat from his perfect body just inches below me.

Then, much to my surprise, hands that had been resting on my scarred and heavily tattooed arms beside him suddenly travelled up my neck and into my hair; his fingers gingerly tugging out the tiny elastic band which instantly made my medium-length locks of midnight hair fall free around my face – my ash-colored eyes watching in awe as the most sweetest smile graced Ulquiorra's pleasant face.

Slender but determined hands delving into my hair and pulling me back down to be only a hairsbreadth away from him, Ulquiorra whispered softly, "Make love to me, Byakuya...please. There isn't anything…that I want more."

My lips parted as I silently gasped upon hearing his words, words that brushed over me like a feather passing along in a cool, spring breeze…it was like a miracle.

Overwhelmed and a little breathless, I crushed our lips back together, fully intent on executing his mind-breaking order to the best of my ability as I plunged my tongue back into his mouth to taste him once again – my love for him burning through my skin and aching throughout my soul, encouraging me to continue….never to stop.

Over and over, I kissed Ulquiorra's panting mouth as he squeezed my biceps in his hands and arched up into my hovering form; his silent pleading being exactly what I wanted before I moved on.

Freeing a hand, I brought it to the side of his neck and tilted his head back, breaking off our heated, passionate kisses that left him breathless as well, my hand gently holding him while I brought my lips to his delicate collarbone, which I could not help but press kiss after kiss to the perfectly contoured dips and lines there.

Ulquiorra was panting and he turned his head so his face was lightly touching my palm, allowing me to feel his warm puffs of air against my fingers as he pressed multiple, loving kisses to the inside of my rough, gun-calloused hand.

"Nnh…Byakuya…"Ulquiorra whispered after pressing another gentle kiss to my palm; his trembling fingers coming up to touch the back of my hand to keep it in place as he writhed sensually on the bed underneath me and my pursuing mouth.

I loved hearing my name being whined from those sinfully sweet lips of his as I had already maneuvered lower on him; my tongue having left his collarbone before I sought out one of his pale, erect nipples to slip in between my lips.

"B-Byakuya!" Ulquiorra gasped once I wrapped my lips around his sensitive, pert nipple and immediately began flicking the tip of my tongue over it, the sound of my name passing those lips making me realize that I absolutely loved it even more when Ulquiorra shouted my name.

I gently pulled my hand away from his face and instead slid my arm underneath his arching, squirming back to support him as I continued to pleasure him out of his mind with my teeth and tongue.

Ulquiorra's hands alternated from gripping at the pillow behind him to clutching at my arms in front of him as his lips remained parted to compensate for his many, needy noises as I worked on him.

His sensuous purrs and mewls washed over me, drowning me in their intoxicating spell as my own trapped erection pulsated every time Ulquiorra called my name to his ceiling as he pulled desperately at his pillow – it was maddening, it was so damn sexy.

Ulquiorra's slender frame felt incredibly light as it rested on top of my arm while I held him up, before I carefully set him back down on the bed as I released his slick nipple from my mouth so I may sit up straight in between his spread, pale legs.

My own naturally half-lidded charcoal eyes were completely glazed over in awe-inpsiring love and unbridled, limitless desire for this striking, brilliant man currently breathing hard beneath me; a vision of purity and kindness to cleanse my blackened presence…all of which I could not be more grateful and taken aback upon seeing it in all its unrestrained, untamed lust and spirit.

I dipped my body low over him and was instantly met with another furious kiss as Ulquiorra leaned up for me again, his nails scratching down my arms this time as I moved my hands to the top hem of his boxers.

Ulquiorra lustfully pulled my tongue into his mouth and sucked on it hard, tempting me with having him do exactly that to something else, as I easily inched the thin, soft material down his smooth legs that shifted just the right way for the act to be seamless – the garment getting carelessly tossed over the side of the bed as I purred into Ulquiorra's mouth from what he was doing to me.

With one, final nip to my angel's kiss-swollen lips, I sat up straight once more, my ash-colored gaze softening down into his hazed green one as I gently took hold of Ulquiorra's right ankle with my left hand and lifted up his leg; our eyes never parting as we both remained in love with how the other looked right now.

I raised Ulquiorra's impossibly smooth and unbelievably white leg high, turned my face towards his slender limb, and pressed the most tender kiss I had ever made to Ulquiorra's supple calve – my angel's face showing nothing but pure, mindless bliss as I tended to him to affectionately.

I watched as Ulquiorra's sighed his pleasure, his fingers twisting in his bedsheets, as I pressed kiss after kiss to his calve and down his thigh; the act making me sink a little lower and trail my gripping hand down further his captive leg after each kiss.

"You are so beautiful," I commented before closing my eyes and placing another soft but firm kiss to the inside of Ulquiorra's trembling, slender thigh in my hand; every fiber within me truly praising and loving every single inch of Ulquiorra, "I never want to stop kissing you."

"Then don't…"Ulquiorra breathed, still trembling in my grip as I moved both of my hands to the taut sides of his ribcage before slowly dragging down my fingertips, memorizing his enticing curves while I listened to my angel whisper back to me, "don't ever…nnh…stop…"

I smirked up at him upon hearing his effortless but breathless agreement, as I completely settled my weight in between his legs, closed my eyes and dipped my head down to his lower abdomen; my hands still holding firmly, possessively to his sides.

Languidly, I ran the flat of my tongue over the smooth, flat contours of Ulquiorra's sheet-white abdomen, tasting his salty-sweet skin and marvelling at how I could feel his body tremble from my ministrations as I travelled lower and lower on him.

His cotton-soft flesh smelled of honey and sunflowers and I was instantly drawn in and hooked to such a wonderful combination that made up Ulquiorra's own unique signature of life – I could relish in that pleasant, comforting scent forever because I knew it meant him.

"Ohh…shit, Byakuya…mmn…"Ulquiorra stammered as he suddenly slid one of his thin thighs on top of one of my shoulders while raking his nimble fingers through my hair, effectively pulling the long locks out of my face and massaging my scalp – my tongue licking hard at his tempting, sensitive flesh before I closed my lips to press wet, praiseworthy kisses to various places.

He was shaking so hard in my hands that I kept on his small ribs and his abdomen against my hot mouth; me being all-too wise to his depraved, breaking condition; so I fully obliged my precious angel and let his rigid, weeping member slip into my mouth; my lips closing around the pulsating head before I used my tongue to play with the dripping slit on the top, just tasting it before making long, pleasuring strokes up and down Ulquiorra's straining member.

Upon receiving such remarkable stimulation at last, Ulquiorra arched beautifully off his bed, his fingers tightening in my hair, as he moaned loudly, sensuously to the heavens above while I continued taking more and more of his properly coated cock into my mouth so I may suck on him in earnest – his forbidden, erotic taste hot and inebriating on my tongue as I genuinely recognized without a glimmer of doubt that I could not live if this miraculous person was not in my life anymore.

I trailed my fingers down his sides, over his waistline, and up his thighs; both of them having made it up onto my shoulders now; and squeezed the firm, lightly muscled flesh in my hands as I picked up my pace of bobbing my head up and down in Ulquiorra's lap; his delicious cries of pleasure toppling over one another as he thrashed around amongst the heated sheets and squeezed me right back with his legs against my back.

I knew he had to be getting close from how frequent and how desperate his moans had become, so I quickly freed one of my hands from his thigh and immediately brought my eager fingers to gently cup Ulquiorra's testicles – Ulquiorra shivering the whole time my hands moved on him until he gasped sharply and bucked up his hips as soon as I began palming his ultra-sensitive sac as further motivation for him to come.

"No, no, no…ahh…y-you have to…s-st…" Ulquiorra attempted to say to me as his eyes were screwed shut tight as his hands continued to give the tiniest pushes to the back of my head so I may be forced to take him into my mouth again and again as my pace of sucking his swelling cock had reached a mind-melting speed with which to purposefully coax his orgasm, "…oh my God…ah, I'm coming…!"

His unrestrained words only encouraged me to take his cock completely down my throat one last time as I softly squeezed Ulquiorra's testicles in my hand; me being fully hell-bent on making my lovely angel come for me – no sooner had I done so did I feel Ulquiorra shiver dramatically before arching up into a sinfully erotic display as I felt his warm, milky come fill my mouth and race down my throat as I continued to apply adequate suction to the base of his spurting, twitching length.

Ulquiorra had released an alluring, drawn-out moan to his white-painted ceiling while his small, dampened chest heaved with breathless satisfaction while I swallowed what was in my mouth of him and lustfully licked the rest of his completion from his sated member; my eyes truly acknowledging how I had just seen as real angel attain godliness.

Gradually, I let Ulquiorra's member slip from my lips as I carefully backed away from his panting, sweating and sprawled-out form; his thighs that had been previously resting on the tops of my shoulders sort of lazily plopping down on the bed in the process; until I stood up to my full height on the floor in front of the bed – my eyes never leaving Ulquiorra's flushed face as he tried to catch his breath.

"Wow…"Ulquiorra commented quietly, almost making me miss such a statement before I saw him gracefully sit up; his bright green eyes regained that fixed determination again as he sought out my half-lidded onyx gaze.

My fingers were efficient and tactful as I brought them to the top button of my own black pants as I watched Ulquiorra maneuver around to be on his hands and knees on the bed before me; his eyes blatantly trailing down my form as he crawled up to me just as I had succeeded in undoing that single button.

I slowly pulled down my zipper as my eyes were glued to how Ulquiorra rose up to just be on his knees, not even an inch away from me – his slender hands coming up to lightly rest on top of my chest as he brought us closer together.

As soon as my pants were unzipped, I abandoned that task in favor of placing my hands on Ulquiorra's small shoulder blades; his own hands running down the muscled, solid planes of my abdomen until he gripped the top of my pants, as I suddenly felt his petal-soft lips press into my chest.

On his knees on the bed in front of my standing, drowning form, Ulquiorra inched my own pants down my hips while he pressed kiss after soul-searing kiss to my scarred, broadly-muscled chest; his eyes closed and his breath warm and fleeting against me the whole time, making my eyes droop shut from such bittersweet admiration of my body.

My sleek, black pants had been lowered enough to where they just cleanly dropped off of me, prompting me to open my eyes to seek out Ulquiorra again, and I was instantly met with the sight of Ulquiorra sinking down to be on his elbows right in front of me – his perfectly sculpt ass still sticking suggestively up in the air, followed by the too-tempting curves of his slender back which dipped low as my pale angel ghosted his lips over my erection.

My lips parted as my line of sight went from concentrating hard on Ulquiorra's picture-esque body to just looking haphazardly at the wall out ahead as my brain practically shut down from feeling the smooth texture of Ulquiorra's lips trace along my rigid length before he let me feel him open his mouth up wide to let the thick head of my begging cock fill his wet, blissfully warm cavern.

I sighed out in immense, gratifying relief through my mouth as I tipped my head back and just allowed myself to get completely lost in the feeling of Ulquiorra's glorious mouth swallowing as much as my engorged member as he could; the feel of his velvety-soft tongue licking and swirling all over the sensitive, throbbing underside was enough to make me shiver a bit and clench my fists tight at my sides so I could remain somewhat sane.

Letting more and more of my cock slip free from his wonderous, life-saving mouth until just the tip of the head was in between his lips, I groaned low in my throat as I felt Ulquiorra's hands slowly touch the sides of my thighs before he trailed them back and delivered a playful, seductive squeeze to my ass. My cock jumped in his mouth as I cooed again from his highly-addicting, direct behavior and mannerisms with me as I felt Ulquiorra lave his tongue generously over the slit of my cock before closing his lips around it tight and sucking hard.

He was torturing me, purposefully playing with me by only administering enough stimulation where I would not be able to get off this way, and only make my head spin out of control until that I made that finally happen.

I loved it.

After another lick to my dripping cock, I took hold of Ulquiorra's cheeks and gingerly pulled him off my pulsating cock; my eyes heavy with sweltering lust and breaking resolutions; as I said evenly to him, "How do you want to take it?"

My fingers slid down Ulquiorra's rounded cheeks as he smirked up at me, seemingly already have known his answer to my question ages ago, before he suddenly fell back against his sheets with the softest of sounds; his legs automatically spreading wide for me as his hands gripped the bottoms of his own thighs to keep them that way.

"…like this," he cooed before licking his lips; my long-since forfeited brain barely realizing that Ulquiorra desired a position in which he could specifically see me up close, every tiny expression and emotion that shuold pass over me as I made love to him, "…give it to me just like this."

Having my orders that had been barely purred into the dark room, all of which I could not be any more delighted in carrying out, I placed a knee on top of the pillowly mattress before leaning over him and mindfully closing the remaining distance in between our bodies – Ulquiorra's legs expectantly, eagerly hooking over my shoulders again as I saw my angel reach his small hands up to take hold of my face.

I let him kiss me as passionately or as slowly as his heart desired as I freed one of my hands and brought it to to Ulquiorra's ass, already letting one of my fingers circle around his spread, waiting entrance.

"Mmn…p-please, Byakuya…"Ulquiorra whined against my lips as I let my first finger slide into his puckered entrance, immediately in love with the wet, velvety texture inside of him that was sure to bring me the most amazing experience I had ever known, "…I need it…right now…please."

After his charming, extremely tempting plead, my sexy, amorous angel ravished my mouth again with his own, and I patiently waited for an opportunity for our lips to come apart naturally before I clearly, honestly whispered to him, "I don't want to hurt you."

With that, I carefully added a second finger to join my first deep inside of him; Ulquiorra's face scrunching up at first before he relaxed his features and sighed out his initial discomfort while I pushed and pulled my long digits in and out of his pale, beautiful form – his juices starting to coat my fingers and diminish any resistance there might have been.

Gingerly, I stretched him only a moment more before I hastily pulled my soaked fingers out of him; me at my absolute wit's end at long last; as I gripped one of his thighs with a hand and firmly grasped my own aching erection at its base with the other so I may better control how I entered him.

With the utmost care I could manage, I slowly pushed the thick, purpling head of my length against Ulquiorra's entrance; my mind certain that time had obliged to stand still for us both during this moment; where there was only the briefest amount of probably painful resistance for him until my cock entered him and I began easing more and more of it inside of his trembling, quivering body.

Ulquiorra's arms were tight around my back, his lips pressing feather-light kisses all over my concentrating face in between his soft moans and huffs of air, while I began to carefully retract my heavy cock from his stretched, delicious ass before sliding back inside of him a little faster.

God, Ulquiorra felt incredible around my pulsating, hard length; his tight, smoldering hot body massaging every inch of me in the most mind-shattering of ways that had me moaning low in my throat every time I lightly thrust into him and relished in how closely he was holding me.

Quickly, being vastly overcome with how intimate and binding everything genuinely was for us both right now, I crushed our lips back together and delivered a sharp snap forward of my hips into his – a high-pitched, surprised moan resulting from my angel upon unintentionally pulling his lips away from mine while he arched magnificently.

"Oh…yesss…just like that," Ulquiorra moaned to me, his nails digging into the tattooed skin on my back as he braced himself for firmer, harsher impacts of my thrusts, all of which I was all-too happy to give him.

My hand on his thigh pulling him just a little bit closer to my body, I picked up my pace of thrusting into his addictive, willing body; loving it when my cock drove into his ass sharper and faster, Ulquiorra began moaning uncontrollably while writhing around and scratching down my back.

His mouth remained open while his eyes were closed as he sensually tossed his midnight locks from side to side with each thrash amongst his bedsheets, as I now pounded into his small, supple ass; easily abandoning all cares and considerations about anything else at the moment while I rammed my rigid member into him over and over – my semi-narrowed eyes intently watching his passionate, erotic expressions as he moaned his pleasure and bucked his hips up to match my thrusts every time.

The pleasure was amazing and every ounce of built-up pressure from our entire time together in this bed was rapidly weighing down on me, pooling lowin my overheated groin, and making my impossibly hard cock pulse even harder with urgent, strangling need.

Fluidly, I lowered my head down to one of Ulquiorra's shoulders and rested my sweating forehead against the smooth, comforting skin there; my thrusts never letting up from practically pounding brutally into Ulquiorra's convulsing, moist insides; as I freed a hand from holding Ulquiorra's thigh and quickly seized my angel's painfully hard erection.

Fervently, like a man crazed about just one thing in life, I stroked Ulquiorra's weeping length with my large, calloused hand, squeezing hard at the base before thumbing his dripping slit and just begging my angel to come for me one more time tonight – Ulquiorra's body beginning to shiver under my coaxing, lusting touches as I knew he was getting so unbelievably close as well, just teetering on his rapidly crumbling edge until all of him was finally mine and mine alone.

Gritting my teeth in immense pleasure and over-stimulation, I felt Ulquiorra's back arch again as I lay almost flush against him while continuing to make love to him; his moans reaching hoarse, wild levels as he let his hands rush down the curves of my back until he grasped my thrusting ass in his hands and pulled me even harder into him each time I snapped my hips forward.

"Ah…just like that…"Ulquiorra shouted in a strangled, moaning voice, heavy with pants in between his words and thick with his overruling desire to reach a climax at last as I felt the soft, slippery muscles inside his ass squeeze my cock with everything he had so he may feel even more of me before he came, "…oh God…yes, just….ahh..just like that…!"

The next instant, Ulquiorra was arching dangerously high, his legs squeezing my back with unforseeable strength as I felt his cock swell inside my hand before feeling his hot, pearly semen spurt in jagged, translucent lines across his stomach and up on his chest with the rest leaking down my fingers – an out-stretched version of my name being screamed at the top of his lungs the whole time he came.

My forehead still resting on Ulquiorra's small shoulder; my mouth panting hard; I moved both my hands to either side of his lightly bucking hips and seized them hard.

"I love you…Ulquiorra," I groaned out before suddenly filling his ass with my hot, thick seed; my rapid, desperate pace of thrusting into him being reduced to quick, stoccato thrusts as I rode out my orgasm and trembled from how staggering it had been.

After a few, weak thrusts, I lazily rose my head up from his shoulder and eased my sated, dripping member out of his flaccid, spent body – both of us barely able to keep our eyes open as we fought to catch our breath and possibly realize something to say to the other after a bout of such intense and meaningful lovemaking.

After removing myself from Ulquiorra, who I noticed was blinking sluggishly at me with the smallest of smiles gracing his lips as he watched me carefully maneuver around so I may lay next to him.

Still no words being spoken yet, though the silence was peaceful and every bit as tranquil, I sighed in great stress-free relief as I lay on my uninjured side, facing Ulquiorra who turned on his opposite side so he may face me as well – that tired but pleased smile still on his lovely, tusseled face.

I swallowed some spit that had collected in my mouth as I only let my eyes take in his heavenly, serene-looking form a moment longer, my eyes in love with how he looked right now, before I extended my arm and effortlessly pulled him even closer to me…just having him be this close to me was enough to put me into a deep sleep already.

My head rested on one of his many pillows on the bed while Ulquiorra's messy head rested on my arm; my other arm protectively wrapped around him and keeping him pressed completely against me; while our legs intertwined on top of the ruffled sheets, and I felt my eyelids become unbearably heavy.

"I love you so much, Kuchiki Byakuya," Ulquiorra whispered against my throat as he squirmed to get a little bit closer to me before we both found sleep, "…I never…want you to leave me…"

I had heard his words, but I knew he was asleep already, so I only kissed the top of his head before taking a deep breath and going to sleep as well.

I never wanted to leave either.

X

The next morning…

I awoke by sniffing in a bit more air than necessary and this information was what made my senses come back to me and allow me to regain a normal, waking breathing pattern.

I kept my eyes closed and only moved my tongue around the inside of my horridly dry mouth at first…until…

_Kiss. _

_Kiss. Kiss._

Still keeping my tired eyes closed though I could definitely ascertain how there was massive amoungs of sunlight pouring in from a window directly overhead, I smirked a small half-grin and lightly stretched out my limbs against the soft, smooth sheets of the comfortable bed I was currently occupying – Ulquiorra resting partially on top of me and placing light, loving kisses to my chest.

I raised a weary hand to one of my eyes and briefly scrubbed the sleep out of it before opening them both and saying light-heartedly, "Good morning."

_Kiss._

"Morning," Ulquiorra said with a sly smile as he looked up at me before resting his head flat against my chest, his small, white hands also curled up cutely against my much more solid, larger form as he continued to lay on me.

"I thought last night was a dream," Ulquiorra confessed to me, half-way humorously and half-way seriously by the sound of it, "but then I woke up and you were still here…sleeping right next to me. Last night was amazing."

I could only smile at my angel's heavy-hearted words, words that truly touched and flattered me…I could not even think of anything to say in return.

To my silence, Ulquiorra raised his head from my chest and looked me square in the face; his brilliant green orbs boring right into my charcoal-colored ones with such passion and love; and said completely seriously, "I've never felt so…intricately praised before. I…I loved it."

My gaze softened as I realized just what he was talking about; the extensive amount of time and energy I took to tending to just about every part of him since I was, in fact, praising him as I knew I should; and I placed my left hand on his cheek and gently pulled him up for a quick kiss.

Keeping him close, I whispered in a purely morning-bedroom-voice, "How could I not when you are so beautiful?"

Pink tinted my angel's rounded, green-streaked cheeks before he pressed his lips to mine again and murmured a subtle 'thank you.'

Our lips parted with Ulquiorra making to get up from bed as I saw him sit on the opposite end and bend over the side, almost disappearing completely from my line of vision before I saw him stand up and tug on a pair of boxers.

Giving my neck a little stretch as I still remained lying down, I was able to clearly see the impeccable color choices to suit the spacious, well-kept bedroom – the grey-ish lavendar trimmed in white was most appealing and relaxing to look at while his few pieces of wooden furniture offered a darker, richer tone to almost balance out all the softer shades.

I was impressed.

After apparantly readjusting his boxers he had just put on, Ulquiorra turned around in his spot to look at me again before he said a little shyly, "Um…the bathroom's right there. You can shower first while I make us breakfast, okay?"

With a little point of his finger, he had motioned to the adjacent master bathroom located directly to my right which I already knew was there, so I only smiled at him and his kind gesture of me using his bathroom first, nodded appreciatively, and said, "Sounds perfect."

I waited until Ulquiorra had left the room before I got up and just sat on the bed for a moment; my mind struggling to make sense of everything that happened between Ulquiorra and me; however the only thing I could come up with…was just how much I love him.

I quickly raised my right hand to my neck and delivered a good squeeze to the tense muscles there before standing up from the mattress and heading straight into the white and light green-decorated bathroom that actually complimented the darker-lavender color of his bedroom extremely well.

After shutting the white door to the bathroom, I immediately turned the water for the shower, adjusting the temperature quickly and rather uncaringly since I just knew that I wanted to make this a fast shower so I may be by Ulquiorra's side as soon as possible.

However, upon stepping under the warm, soothing spray of the water, my muddled mind was instantly cleared, everything slowed down, as I was rendered rather unable to move and just soak for a minute.

My lips parted, streams of water running down and off of them, as I dipped my head low and let the remarkably cleansing water thoroughly soak my long, midnight locks and run down my back – my injury on my side not even hurting any more as I was totally relaxed right now, barely registering anything outside of how incredibly…happy I was…not just at the moment…but with my life right now.

I loved Ulquiorra so much, last night had meant the world and more to me, and right now, as I just soaked in his shower and knew that he was in his kitchen this very moment cooking us something to eat…I was so impossibly pacified, it was like God was suddenly starting to favor me.

How long had I waited for such untroubled moment such as this?

All my life.

I finished my shower a little later than I had initially anticipated, but I felt completely at ease as I walked out of Ulquiorra's bathroom and back into his master bedroom. I inhaled expectantly and smirked as I could hear the subtle sizzling sounds from Ulquiorra cooking in the kitchen, as I quickly pulled on my boxers and black pants from yesterday before exiting the room to seek him out and help him.

Soul feeling lighter than it had in years, I walked down the carpeted corridor and headed straight for the semi-enclosed kitchen so see my generous, God-sent angel, thoughts already stinging my brain and tongue about how I needed to ask Ulquiorra if I had put my used towel in the right place in his bathroom.

However, as soon as I rounded the corner that led into the kitchen, my every movement stopped – my eyes opening wide, disbelievingly as I quickly surveyed the area and became increasingly tense and alert of my every surrounding.

Ulquiorra was nowhere to be found.

In his kitchen, an unattended pan was still sizzling with blackened bits of burnt butter on top of his stove while a few eggs were broken on his tiled floor, their pattern frantic and alarming across the pristine white tiles I could only force my eyes away from.

My mind ruefully snapping back to an assassin's vital analytic procedures, I hastily bypassed the kitchen in favor of making my way towards the front door…and what I saw…scared me…right down to my core.

Ulquiorra's door had been obviously forced open as the wood along the edges of the door and the jamb were dramatically splintered and cracked wide; signaling how someone used brute force to shove the door possibly one or two good times until the wood had to choice but to give way around the tiny, metal locking devices and allow the door to slam open.

Oh my God, someone had broken into this place…and had taken him away….had taken him away from me.

Someone's filthy, fucking hands were on him…right now, right this fucking second.

I dropped to my knees, my breathing harsh and ragged as I fought to keep forcing air in and out of my constricting lungs while my eyes were glued to the savage condition the door was in – my mind going haywire in uncontrollable lengths at an unstoppable speed as I considered my angel…and how frightened he must have been when they had broke in and took him.

God, how could this have happened? How?!

Have none of my prayers reached your ears after all of this time, Lord? Has none of that meant anything?! How could this have…

_They_…they did this.

I just knew it.

The only way they could have known where Ulquiorra lived…was if someone had followed me.

This was my fault; this was my fucking fault!!

Teeth grit, I slammed my fists into the ground before me, one right after another and I knew that any one of these blows would have severly injured a normal human being rather than just thudding pointlessly against the floor - white-hot rage flooding my veins, murdering my other senses, and momentarily seizing my every muscle before allowing me to act as its puppet and see through with exactly what I wanted.

They all were going to pay.

I…was going to make all of them pay for this.

That man was an angel on this earth…and we're all just demons sullying his way.

I could not let that happen any longer…not to him.

X

_Author's Note_: Um, yikes. I hope I get more reviews this time, yes? Feedback makes the world go 'round and such lol. I don't know what I'm saying anymore. XD Thanks just the same, everyone, and I hope you stick around for another epic twist!


	6. Chapter 6

"_The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."_ – Ezekiel 25:17

X

Chapter Six

_That man was an angel on this earth…and we're all just demons sullying his way._

_I could not let that happen any longer…not to him. _

X

_**Byakuya's POV**_

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It's been…two weeks since my last confession," I said solemnly, quietly to the shadowed clergyman on the other side of the dark, metal grating inside the dreary and dark-wooden confessional booth – my voice thick and choked as I forced the words out of my mouth just as I had forced myself to make this short visit to Saint John's Cathedral.

"You are forgiven," sounded the raspy, older voice of the concealed, elderly priest opposite me, his words far more stable and certain than my own as I kept my head bowed on top of my clasped, strained hands, "Now tell me your sins, child, and receive the blessing of the Lord God."

I sighed silently, thoughtfully through my nose before inhaling in the deep, rich scent of the aged, unvented wood surrounding me that had obviously not been moved in many years – the musky smell stifling as it was comforting to me and my rundown senses.

"Actually, it's not about what I have done in the past...but about what I will do," I started quizzically, feeling every bit as reserved about confessing something of this nature and gravity to a holy person – my very turmoil and self-loathing at the moment being the exact reason I was here in the first place.

I knew I needed to totally feel every bit of the burden of my situation, allowing it to hit me squarely in the face and then rest with all its venomous, staggering weight on my shoulders - it was my own pathetic attempt at some kind of atonement for all the atrocities I have caused and was still planning to cause.

I acknowledged wholly that I needed to feel every ounce of pain that the situation I had ultmimately created, had amassed – I deserved to suffer, and now I was making sure that I would.

…in the house of God, in my own sanctuary.

I was sacrificing it all right now.

"The Lord would suggest to anyone with a sound mind that if they knew something they are about to partake in is wrong ahead of time, then that person should not go through with it. That person…would need to ask God for advice…and then see what still lies in their heart, " the priest answered predictably, giving me a rule-book, overly- broad solution to my statement even though he had no idea the horrible things I was currently thinking.

"I'm sorry," I said softly as I shut my eyes in thought and continued to keep my brow resting firmly against my praying hands, "…I need to kill these people, Father."

X

_**Third Person POV**_

Later…

"Why the hell is he so white?! No one is that fucking pale! Does he have some kind of skin disease or something?! Ha!" Grimmjow taunted gruffly with a wolfish, toothy smile splitting his cheeks and making his sapphire eyes glint with such wickedness that it made the man in question only hug his arms tighter around himself in absolute fear.

"And what is up with that number four on his chest?" the loud-mouthed, red-haired Renji joined in alongside his comrades as his malicious smile equally matched Grimmjow's as he leered over the cowering man in the middle of their circle, "Is that how many guys you've fucked lately, you freak?!"

Ulquiorra Schiffer shook uncontrollably as he stood inside an unfamiliar, dimly-lit room with no visible windows, and was surrounded by three men who loomed over him, all of them smiling and glaring and making cruel jokes at his expense while he could only stare at the hardwood floor below and keep his arms around his own slender body protectively.

Earlier that day, Grimmjow had broken into Ulquiorra's apartment, grabbing the smaller, weaker man as he had been apparently in the middle of making a simple breakfast. The quarrel had been quick, effortless on Grimmjow's part as he had been able to kick down Ulquiorra's door with little trouble and then hastily snatch up the stunned raven before he attempted to make a hurried dash down the corridor from the kitchen.

Ulquiorra had struggled as viciously as he could despite being so caught off-guard and frightened, but Grimmjow had had an iron-grip on the young painter and had knocked him out with a single blow to the side of his jaw; making the pale man slump helplessly in the bluenet's massive, deadly arms like crumpled silk.

Gin had waited in the street outside Ulquiorra's apartment complex in their car the whole time…his grin never leaving his twisted face as he waited for the delivery of their precious cargo.

Now, Ulquiorra stood before the evil-looking faces and forms of Ichimaru Gin, Abarai Renji, and Jeagerjacque Grimmjow as they greedily let their narrowed eyes roam all over Ulquiorra's pale and barely covered frame – the black boxers he had slipped into earlier that morning being the only thing he was currently wearing.

His pallid skin felt cold, exposed, and more than vulnerable under the scrutinizing gaze of these darkly-dressed men as they continued to taunt him and relentlessly invade his personal space as they kept their hands in their suit pockets and maddening smiles on their faces.

"Personally, I have no idea what Byakuya must be thinking these days, "Gin sneered spitefully as he leaned in a bit closer to the shivering, scared young man who was unwilling to look up from the ground, "…keeping someone like you around."

Ulquiorra flinched at the harsh words, the sting of them cutting him deep inside his heart as his troubled, unclear mind desperately tried to continue thinking about Kuchiki Byakuya, his love…his handsome savior with beautiful eyes of frozen metal.

"Ha! I say we find out what makes him so special! What do you say, Gin?" Grimmjow bellowed loudly, making Ulquiorra only shiver harder as he heard the suggestive words that immediately put countless, terrible thoughts inside his weary head.

"Hmm…"Gin remarked coldly as his snake-like grin seemed to spread wider across his face at his comrade's proposition, "I think we may have to…even though he is just a piece of trash."

Brilliant green eyes screwed shut as small, white shoulders shook in unimaginable terror for his own life; crystal clear lines of tears running down Ulquiorra's pale, cyan-streaked cheeks; glossing them over and dripping down his rounded, bruised chin like a sorrowful rain falling from a heavenly cloud.

"_God…God, this can't be happening…"_ Ulquiorra's fearful, frantic thoughts whirred over and over inside his mind as Ulquiorra was quickly being overcome with tremendous panic and anxiety – every bit of him extremely, painstakingly aware of the forebearing compromise to his saftey, _"…they're…they're going to…oh my God, this can't…please someone help me…BYAKUYA!!! PLEASE HELP ME!!!"_

X

_**Byakuya's POV**_

Meanwhile…

"God, please forgive me…" I whispered as I watched two more members of the White Night Kyoutou fall to the floor, dead and bleeding profusely from the expertly-placed bullet wounds in their chests.

Lowering my arms, my mind already having assessed that Ulquiorra was not in this room either, I rushed back to the door and pressed my back to the adjacent wall before just peeking out into the lavish, but now heavily blood-stained white and gold-trimmed corridors…hallways that I was all-too familiar with as I have walked up and down the rows of this manor countless times during my service here.

I was dressed in my most expensive, solid black Armani suit that had extra pockets decorating the plain, red satin inner-lining of the jacket as I kept my shirt and tie underneath flat black as well with my jackets buttons undone so I may be able to reach my spare magazines inside those pockets with ease – my dark and solid clothing completely matching my penatent, sorrowful mood as well as allowing me to possibly be already properly dressed for my funeral.

At this point, I did not really care one way or the other – my clothes already had tiny spatter patterns of ruby red blood on them, what difference did it make if that was my blood or not?

The corridor appeared to be clear and I knew that there were only three rooms left down this particular way, one of which being a small tea room where I highly doubted they would have kept Ulquiorra. Knowing the type of people I was up against, I knew that they were probably doing anything but treating him to tea…the very thought making my heated blood boil inside my furiously pounding veins.

That left two rooms, both on my right side a little ways ahead that I would have to make a quick dash towards so I did not spend too much time out in the open amidst the wide but largely inescapable corridor.

My leather-gloved hands squeezed my matching, deadly handguns one last time before I ducked out of the room I was in and, still keeping low, made my way to the next door coming up on my right side – my words still being whispered sparingly to God desperately as I quickly approached one of the last rooms I was to check.

"Just this once…please…"I pleaded quietly to my Savior as I pivoted on my heel and softly placed my back against the wall right next to the door I was to open, "please, God…have mercy on me and those I love...just this once."

After inhaling a bit of air inside my lungs and clenching my jaws tightly together, I used my fingertips and quickly turned the small, golden doorknob; swinging the wooden door open with all my might before appearing recklessly in the doorway for all to see.

I had long-since given up on my natural tactic of stealth since my guns had not been silenced this entire time, as well as how I knew that any people inside this room now would most likely notice if the door had even been opened quietly – my presence had no chance of being masked anyway, but I still had the element of surprise to utilize.

All eyes whipped towards my direction, but I was already moving, having already gotten a dreadful, mind-shattering eyeful of the sight a little ways before me inside of this room.

Further inside the darkly-lit and barely furnished room was Ulquiorra, naked, crying, and shivering as Ichimaru Gin stood behind him with his eerie, thin hands holding onto both of my angel's hips and with his treacherous, disgusting lips pressed onto the side of Ulquiorra's neck.

The one side of Ulquiorra's white, cherub face was completely bruised a hideous mixture of black and blue that seemed to stain his blessed purity in my eyes.

Renji and Grimmjow were also standing on either side of both Ulquiorra and Gin, but, within the blink of an eye, I knew that I needed to first take out the two guards who were stationed on either side of the door, of me.

Despite all my tedious, blood-curdling assessments, I had only just opened the door and entered this room; both my arms automatically raising their weapons directly out in front of me before I spread my arms wide out to my sides; my eyesight purposefully expanded so I may be able to tell exactly where these faceless goons were without truly looking.

_Pow! Pow!_

Too much blood and adrenaline was racing through my systems for me to hear adequately, so I did not even pick up on the strangled yells those guards had made or the quite booming sounds of their dead bodies hitting the floor hard directly afterwards.

Just as little lines of smoke oozed upwards and into the air from the barrels of my just-fired guns, I was already ducking hastily to my left, lowering my left arm while I kept my right Browning 9 x 19 millimeter handgun trained unwaveringly at Renji, who was closest and appeared to be reacting faster to the situation than anyone else.

From my unfocused, but present peripheral vision, I could just barely make out how lovely, green eyes were widening in shock as they watched me maneuver skillfully about the room, having already taken out two people and not stopping yet as my facial expression showed nothing but ice-cold concentration; far too enraged to even show my madness properly; while my every movement was highly evident of years of training to do exactly this.

Focusing almost too keenly, however, I watched as if it was all happening in some kind of drug-induced slow motion as Renji's left hand had delved into his jacket's inside right pocket, but I was too fast for him and had already anticipated everyone's initial hesitation which gave me a huge advantage.

I had only caught a glimpse of the smooth, black gleam of Renji's handgun emerging from the inside of his jacket before I dropped to one knee; my right hand that had been aiming at Renji finally pulling the trigger while my fingertips of my left hand touched the cool surface of the hardwood floor below for support – my killer's mind never ceasing its calculations and anaylsis about variances in degrees that results in everyone's moves, proximity, current location, and how I needed to move accordingly to engage in the most efficient attack.

_Bang!_

My legs were not allowing me to slow down, not even for an instant, for as soon as the round was fired from my gun, I tightly braced both of my handguns once more inside my palms before rolling quickly to my right – a small, hole emerging in the very spot I had dodged away from where Grimmjow had just fired at me…just like I knew he would since his brief encounter with hesitation was already gone and his efforts to draw his weapon had succeeded better than Renji's previous attempt.

_Pow!_

I had lifted up my left arm as I now lay flat on top of the pristine, treated wooden flooring and had fired at Grimmjow, hitting him at an odd angle in his stomach, which made him scrunch up his beastly face, clutch at his wound and double back; blood already seeping out from in between his grit teeth and his fingers.

Again, I had seen Grimmjow's mouth open upon receiving such brutal impact, but I truthfully heard no sound come out of his bloody, gaping mouth before he also fell to the floor; his death being made slower than Renji's and the guards from before since I had shot him at such an obscure angle which probably skewed multiple organs that took a bit of time to hemorrhage enough blood for the gorilla-like man to finally die.

"You just wait right there, Kuchiki Byakuya," Gin suddenly said, his slow, acidic voice finally reaching my ears and making my hazed, over-consumed senses quickly begin to normalize and level out despite my obvious fury still burning inside me.

My still-bandaged right side throbbed for a moment as I slowly made to stand up from the floor, my guns still in both my hands, as I focused my eyes on the smirking, evil face of Gin as he only peeked out at me from over Ulquiorra's exposed left shoulder.

Ulquiorra's small, white frame shivered as fresh tears streamed down his frightened face as his green orbs were locked onto my form – me now standing up to my full height in front of Ulquiorra and Gin though I kept my arms down at my sides…I knew I could not do anything hasty, no more tricks…not with Gin holding Ulquiorra like that.

"Tsk, tsk, dear Byakuya…"Gin taunted relentlessly, still grinning at me cruelly even though he had just seen me murder his comrades with well-timed ease and tact, "what will you do now?"

My eyes went from Gin's serpent-like face that seemed to be mocking me more than anything, to Ulquiorra's lovely but marred face kept closely to his own, to the large, gleaming metal blade that Gin was holding dangerously close to Ulquiorra's throat.

He must have retrieved that while I had been busy taking out everyone else…meaning that his smile at me truly was meant to mock me; that bastard thought he had won.

The shine of the metal of the deadly blade pressed to my angel's throat glared at me as I forced my eyes away from it and back towards Gin, my mouth going dry and my fingers positively twitching to take care of him as quickly as I had the others.

"You know, I've always liked you, Byakuya," Gin continued in that terrible, tragic voice of his; more tears spilling over from scared, green eyes cast directly on me; "but, unfortunately, you never even gave me the time of day. I think…all that is about to change, though. Wouldn't you agree?"

My teeth grit painfully inside my skull as I chose to remain silent – his words scraping spitefully against my very soul which made my every muscle burn madly with the crazed desire to kill him in the most extreme and violent of ways.

"I'm sure you can imagine, then, how upset I was when I found out that you were…already with somebody," Gin sneered as he softly dragged some of the sharp blade of his knife against the tender flesh of Ulquiorra's throat, making the smaller, pale man tense dramatically and screw his eyes shut as he winced from the pain, "I think any logical person would understand that."

A tiny, angry line of red was left in the knife's wake on my angel's long, porcelain neck and I visibly shivered from having so much unmoving rage coiling through me…but then…I had an idea.

I sucked in a bit of through my nose to calm myself down as much as possible before I spoke, needing my words to be as clear and consise as they could be…Ulquiorra's life depended upon it.

"Ulquiorra," I said surpisingly evenly as my own ash-colored eyes were suddenly met with watery green ones as Ulquiorra instantly looked at me, "what were you doing the first time I met you?"

I watched as Ulquiorra's brows furrowed together at first, his gaze slipping from mine as I could tell that he was racking his brain hard to cut through all of this present chaos and remember exactly what I was asking him to remember.

"What an odd thing to say to your lover right before he dies..."Gin remarked amusedly as he quirked up a thin, silver eyebrow at me before smirking even wider if that was even possible, "but no matter...especially since I…"

Too quick, even for Gin, to fully register all at once, Ulquiorra suddenly tossed Gin's hands away from him and sunk to the floor; squatting down as small as he could go as he hugged his knees and dropped his head…leaving Gin completely open within a second's time.

My steel-grey eyes narrowing, I raised only my right arm and pointed the deadly, silver barrel of my nine millimeter handgun right in between Gin's rarely widened, surprised brown eyes…and…

_Bang!__ Bang!_

The large, military-issued knife falling uselessly out of his grasp, Gin fell back away from Ulquiorra and cluttered noisily to the floor, dead upon impact, and I let out the air I had been holding at once.

Immediately, my attention was honed in the still-crouching form of Ulquiorra as he audibly wept inside the circle his arms made around his body as he kept his head tucked down against his knees – the sight all but killing me and I quickly stripped off my suit jacket.

Heart thumping heavily inside my chest, I dropped down to one knee beside his shaking, crying form and draped my expensive but blood-speckled jacket across his naked shoulders and back – the act making him gingerly raise his head to look me in the eyes at last.

"It's going to be okay," I said quietly but frantically, desperately to him as I released my empty catridge from one of my guns and quickly reloaded another fresh magazine into it and then switching hands to do the same to the other, "I'm going to get you out of here. You hear me? I'm going to get you out of here and then I want you to get as far away from me as possible."

Ulquiorra sniffed before murmuring a shaky, confused, "W-what? Byakuya…"

"Listen, I need you to take that guy's clothes from over there and put them on," I directed, a bit of panic starting to settle within me as I tried to keep my troubled gaze off of his crying, pleading face and instead concentrate fully on what my hands were doing, "We need to move now; they'll be more coming for us."

The last of my instructions seemed to hit home for Ulquiorra, for as soon as I stopped talking, both he and I wordlessly stood from our spots and Ulquiorra set off immediately to the executed guard I had pointed out to retrieve his clothes so he may have something to wear as we escaped.

Ulquiorra was dressed in record time, due in large part to rushed, frightened frenzy, and he was back at my side in an instant as I was already standing at the same door I had previously came in through – my ears listening intently to the sounds reverberating from outside.

Two on the left, one on the right.

My left side still against the wall, my eyes just watching the door, I quickly glanced over to Ulquiorra who was standing off to my right and a little behind me.

"Stay right there," I demanded quietly of him as I used my gloved fingers to deftly roll both of my long, black sleeves up my forearms; my brown leather gun holster straps visibly strewn across my back and chest as Ulquiorra still had on my suit jacket; "don't move until I tell you."

Ulquiorra nodded sharply, his eyes still wide with fear but his face had relaxed considerably since I had taken out all of his tormentors and my former co-workers – the black and white clothes I had told him to wear were of the smallest guy in the room, but they still hung off of his much more delicate frame, accompanied by my overly-large jacket that completely hid his hands in the sleeves.

Turning my attention back towards the door, I tried my best to relax my broad, tired shoulders as I murmured a barely audible, "Thank you, God…for your mercy – Uquiorra's alright…thank you."

_Slam!_

It a fit of furious determination, I slammed open the door, my newly-reloaded guns never out of my hands as I pointed them in both directions down the corridor and fired multiple rounds each – all of the waiting, suspecting but unsure guardsmen falling easily under my spray of thick, merciless bullets zinging through them at alarming speeds.

Ducking back inside the room for a moment, I quickly grabbed Ulquiorra's arm and pulled him out of that horrible space and then made a left down the corpse-littered hallway.

"Don't look," I instructed, softer than before and with more remorse as all of this blood shed that seemed to make Ulquiorra shiver even more within my grasp…was all my doing, "Just don't look."

Ulquiorra following closely behind me, we reached the end of the corridor where the area gave way to a grand and lavishly spacious sitting room where decorative armchairs and tables and a few marble pillars were – all coordinately majestically to the gold filigree that laced up and down the white walls and spanned out all over the navy-blue carpeting.

Turning to face him, I took both of his small shoulder in my hands; my guns regretfully pressing into his flesh as well, though it seemed like he did not notice or care; before I said with evident worry and inner turmoil seeping through my words, "There's a door across this room and on the right. It leads out to the gardens. You can escape that way, okay?"

I saw Ulquiorra swallow, his eyes showing betrayal and sadness from my instructions that meant for us to part ways, before he said a very unsturdy, "N-no…"

"Ulquiorra, this is…you have to," I said, my voice clearly contradicting the words I had said as I dropped his heart-breaking gaze, "…you have to get as far from me as you can."

"N-no!" Ulquiorra reaffirmed, louder this time, as he let his jacket sleeve-covered hands reach up and touch my bare forearms that were still extended out as I kept my gloved hands on his shoulders, "Byakuya, I d-don't want to l-leave you…! I want to…"

"Shit! Get behind me!!" I said sternly as I all but shoved Ulquiorra behind me as I stepped even further in front of him – my well trained ears having picked up the subtle shuffling of shoes moving against the subtle, fabric resistance of the thick carpeting of the hallway we had just come down.

I raised both of my guns towards the blood-spattered hallway…all they needed to do was round that far corner and then I would have them in my sights dead-on…

…just a little further, damn you…

"Hey…Byakuya, wait!" a shy, reserved voice suddenly sounded from that direction until I saw the owner who was just about to approach.

Izuru Kira had both of his arms up, his face that of worry and fright, as he suddenly appeared from around the corner; his dark-grey jacket open and I was able to see that he had no visible weapons on him as he cautiously walked closer and closer to me.

"I'm not here to make trouble," Kira admitted as he stopped a little ways ahead of me, still inside the corridor, but unwilling to move any closer until I lowered my guns, "I'm not armed, I have nothing on me. I actually…wanted to help you escape…both of you."

I lowered my weapons and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Kira…thank you," I could only manage to say, my humility vastly outweighing my surprise as my comrade's supportive words as he looked down so he may carefully step around some more dead bodies; his arms still up in the air in a classic 'surrender' gesture.

"You don't need to thank me," the usually quiet and soft-spoken blonde went on as he stepped over bloody, lifeless limbs, "I've actually been wanting out for a long time, and now that all this…"

I had just barely seen it over his shoulder, but I knew what it was.

"Kira, get down!!" I yelled, my guns coming back up and pointing out ahead of me.

"Huh? What..."was all my comrade managed to say, before…

_Bang!_

I watched, horrified, as blood exploded from Kira's chest, completely dying his white shirt and black jacket a deep, unforgiving crimson as more and more of the precious liquid gushed out of the bullet wound and ran down his already slumping, dying body.

Kira's shocked, blue eyes dulled as thick lines of blood began running out of his mouth and down his chin, his arms still up in the air as he dropped to his knees and then fell forwards.

I grit my teeth and did not move my guns an inch as I saw Kira's body fall unjustly to the floor to join the rest of the casualities, his attacker from behind him still approaching me with the smoking barrel of his blue-finished black Tanfoglio T95 Combat nine millimeter handgun now pointed squarely at me.

"Dammit, Kuchiki Byakuya! Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?!" Yamamoto-sama growled out in all his wall-shaking timber and malice as the traditionally-clothed leader stalked closer and closer to me, "Have you gone insane?"

Despite myself, I swallowed hard and did not utter a sound as my eyes narrowed dangerously at my former boss and his weapon that he kept aimed at my chest – my own guns lowering to mid-height the closer he got to me.

"Ulquiorra, run…get away from here," I whispered, knowing that Ulquiorra would hear me as I could sense that he was still standing unmovingly off to my right and partially behind the wall of the grand room that the corridor turned into.

"You have killed off damn near everyone in this Kyoutou! Do you want us to go under?! Answer me, Kuchiki!!" Yamamoto-sama continued to try to scold me, his words that I used to respect so highly totally falling on deaf, uncaring ears, however.

Yamamoto-sama stopped when the barrel of his gun was pressed up against my stomach and one of mine was pressed up against his chest; my other hand down at my side neutrally.

"How dare you, boy," he said venomously in my face as we continued to hold the other by the point of our guns, and while I remained as silent as a grave, "Ungrateful brat! I taught you everything you know…and this is how you repay me!?! I have been like a father to you!!!"

I finally had something to say upon hearing this, however.

As calmly as I could, though my mental capacity was about at its limit, I said somberly, "You never…gave me a life, not a real one."

"Why you…" the bearded old man fumed as his gun dug a little harder into my flesh, "So, that's what this is all about? Some 'real life' nonsense? And him…"

My eyes widened as I realized that Yamamoto-sama had just spotted Ulquiorra behind me; my tamed, overall fear now starting to hit me with all of its staggering, blinding force as my mind tried to quickly to process a million different scenarios at once.

If Yamamoto-sama decided to turn his gun towards Ulquiorra, I would step in the way…no question about it in my mind whatsoever.

"I can see why you are so attached to him, Byakuya," Yamamoto-sama began cruelly but quizzically as his words hinted at the fact that he obviously had a bigger point to be made, "…he does, in some ways, resemble that…of…her…"

_Pow!_

My heart had hardened, my features went almost dead in an instant as I watched with impassive, icy eyes as my aged, wise but otherwise incomprehensibly meniacal boss fell backwards – the flesh around his bullet wound I had just put in him still burning since it was such a close-contact shot.

His blood had barely gotten on my clothes, but it had erupted from the large exit wound in his back before he toppled backwards to the floor with a deafening thud – my brain still incapable of snapping back to reality after hearing what he had said to me…those words.

Suddenly feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders, all the lives I had just taken, all the pain from my complicated past that I felt swooping back over me, I dropped to my knees as my guns slipped free from my trembling fingers.

My breathing was hard and my head was spinning, so I barely heard it when Ulquiorra called out my name with strangled panic is his voice before rushing to my side as I slumped forward and placed my gloved hands flat on the floor and hung my head low.

"Byakuya? Byakuya!!! Are you okay?!" Ulquiorra cried next to me as his little, covered hands squeezed at my right arm – tears of my own sliding down my cheeks progressively stronger and stronger as I felt all of my resolve positively burst into pieces and leave me with painful, maddening nothingness.

"Oh, God…Byakuya...I am right here…"Ulquiorra cried desperately as he wrapped his arms around my head and brought my breaking, hurting form closer to him, "I'm right here. I gotcha…I gotcha now. We're okay…you see? We're okay…"

My teeth remained grit and my eyes were tightly shut, my face depicting that of actual physical pain, as I let Ulquiorra cradle my head and shoulders with his delicate, slender arms while streams and streams of silently sobbed tears ran down my face and soaked into his sleeves – my own arms too exhausted and too sinful to lift up and hold him as well.

"Shh…it's all over," Ulquiorra continued as he gently rocked back and forth with me in his arms, both of us on our knees surrounded by so many terrifying things, "we're going to leave here together...okay? And I'm not going to let you go…Byakuya…not ever."

X

_Author's Note_: Alright, so I've been listening to various remixes of _"Techno Rock"_ by Heiko and Maiko…and I was in a really weird mood the entire time I wrote this chapter. Hope everyone liked it, yes?! Yes…lol. Stay tuned for the next chapter where a few more questions about favorite Byakuya get answered. Oh yes.


	7. Chapter 7

"_Prayer is the language of a man burdened with a sense of need."_ - E.M. Bounds

X

Chapter Seven

_**Third Person POV**_

Ulquiorra held onto Byakuya for as long as the other man needed as they both were slumped on the bloodied floor inside that eerily quiet manor; the usually unreadable, stoic man scaring and humbling the young painter at the same time as he only kept his face lowered against Ulquiorra's chest and let his tears silently fall from his closed eyes.

Over and over, Ulquiorra stroked back locks of long, sleek, black hair as he cooed words of positivism and hope to his obviously shaken and distraught lover, his personal savior.

"You saved me…again…Byakuya," Ulquiorra whispered solemnly, meaningfully down to the much larger man in his arms who had finally started to breathe a bit easier and steady his subtle trembling, "I prayed that you would come, and you did."

Byakuya swallowed some spit that had collected in his mouth before gingerly raising his head off of Ulquiorra's chest so he may look the younger man in the eyes now – two, deadly gloved hands lifting up and lightly taking hold of either side of Ulquiorra's wide-eyed but viciously bruised face.

Half-lidded, ash-colored eyes were troubled and downtrodden as they peered into praiseful emerald orbs; Ulquiorra's sleeve-covered hands raising up and gently placing themselves on the backs of Byakuya's hands in order to relish in his touch and keep him there longer.

"I am so sorry, Ulquiorra," Byakuya began remorsefully, self-sacrifice in his every breath as he peered at someone who shone with nothing but absolute good and wholesomeness in his eyes, "…this would have never happened if you hadn't met me."

Then, taking the broken, older man by complete surprise, Ulquiorra suddenly launched himself forward into Byakuya's outstretched arms as Ulquiorra buried his small face against Byakuya's collarbone and clung to the front of his solid black shirt with his covered hands – the act bordering on desperate and painfully beseeching the way Ulquiorra's hands gripped at Byakuya's fabric and how tightly he held the man close to himself…like he was refusing to even acknowledge such a distraught statement being said to him.

"Don't say that; it's not your fault," Ulquiorra managed to choke out despite how much he was currently wanting to cry his eyes out against the man he loved who was basically telling him that they should not be together, "it was never your fault…please, I…I don't want to lose you."

Ulquiorra had whispered the last part of his plea before turning his tear-streaked face even more against the solid, comforting planes of Byakuya's chest – the gesture far too endearing and heart-warming to the internally struggling man that he was holding on to.

Byakuya's depleted mind and practically useless senses warmed and melted upon hearing such heart-felt words from Ulquiorra as he could tell that his young lover was fighting earnestly not to break down any more while clinging so possessively to him.

Byakuya sighed out some air thoughtfully, defeated by his beautiful, resilient lover whose words and actions practically screamed at him that he did not want them to be apart, and could not help but wrap his arms securely around Ulquiorra's curved, slender back in response – his mouth already regretting have uttered those words to Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra's body only snuggled in closer against Byakuya's on account of Byakuya returning his bittersweet embrace; the very feeling of the stronger man's arms encircling around him bringing him effortless peace of mind in an instant; and Byakuya was obliged to take a deep, mind-easing breath of Ulquiorra's unique scent as his previously enraged systems and strife-laden confusion were also coming to a total standstill.

"Tell me you're not hurt…" Byakuya requested softly, conscientiously as his mind's eye was spitefully attempting to recount the terrible details of what had led them up to this point versus just focusing on the bliss he was experiencing now, "…tell me they didn't hurt you."

"No…I'm alright," Ulquiorra replied back against Byakuya's collarbone as a small, grateful smile curled his pale, supple lips, "…especially now."

Byakuya squeezed Ulquiorra tighter in his exhausted arms and murmured an incredibly sincere 'thank God' before tipping his head down and placing a tender, loving kiss on top of Ulquiorra's messy, raven head.

"Let's get out of here," Byakuya said lowly into Ulquiorra's hair, the rest of his previously confused, unsure mind also deciding pleasantly that Ulquiorra had been right all along in that they really did need to be together in order to have any kind fulfilling life at all, "…together."

Byakuya realized that his earlier suggestion about Ulquiorra getting as far away from him as possible, thereby also implying that he should try to forget about him and their time together completely, had only upset his green-eyed, fair-skinned angel and nothing more – Ulquiorra having shown nothing but displeasure at the idea of them being separated.

Ulquiorra's unwavering devotion and love for Byakuya was nothing short of miracle in the latter's mind, and he finally knew that he should count his blessings instead of trying to push them away.

Kuchiki Byakuya could have laughed at himself for all of his blind foolishness up to this point.

In the very least, Byakuya was certain that he had never known such happiness before than when Ulquiorra was in his arms, telling him how much he loved him…and he never wanted that to be taken away from him again.

Byakuya silently agreed with himself that he would just do only what Ulquiorra told him to do from now on.

Upon hearing Byakuya's soft-spoken proposal, Ulquiorra lifted his head up from Byakuya's chest; his watery eyes shining brilliantly with happiness and admiration; before he closed his eyes and pressed their lips together – Byakuya matching his affection perfectly as he received Ulquiorra's petal-soft lips with his own and slid his eyes shut as well; content, relieved, grateful…grateful that Ulquiorra had not listened to him before about leaving him and running away.

He never wanted to let go of the young man in his arms either.

X

Forty-eight minutes later…

_**Byakuya's POV**_

"I'll just be a minute in the bathroom," Ulquiorra informed me as he and I entered our hotel room that we had just gotten; specifically in the opposite direction from Ulquiorra's apartment complex…just to be safe.

The night was young enough, but I was so tired, so impossibly exhausted from everything that had happened today.

While my actions had been scrupulously filled with white-hot rage back in the White Night Kyoutou manor; seeing what I had and having to do what I did to so many people; I was still left with an unimaginable amount of guilt and a burdening hollowness in the pit of my stomach…all of it making me wonder bitterly _'what do I do now…'_

My mental and physical capacities were almost completely drained; from constant, semi-conscious prayer, non-stop tactical planning while I had to skillfully moved about the manor, and from feeling all of it catch back up to me the second it was over…killing a part of me, as well.

Only one thing was for certain, though, and that was that I did it all for Ulquiorra…and I would do it again if I had to.

He had not deserved any of what had happened to him, and the many, painful deaths that I had caused earlier this night was all in effort to right that unforgivable wrong.

I loved him so much, but the faces of my dying comrades still plagued my mind in short, clipped flashes of deep crimson and silent screams – the entire time we walked the city streets to this hotel and even now as I just stood there motionless while I watched Ulquiorra carefully pad further into the room and curiously look around.

While my eyes were on Ulquiorra's back, my face still frowned as I could not help but recall the biggest source of my stress and despair right now.

Yamamoto-sama had mentioned...her…to me.

I watched tiredly as Ulquiorra slowly walked a bit further into our rather spacious hotel suite now that he had had a good look around; the walls a tasteful olive color, trimmed in white, dark green, and a rich oak; and then made a knowing right turn to the separate bathroom – the simple white door closing softly behind him.

Having a bit of privacy now, I sighed out my air as I gave my tense neck a good stretching, as my ungloved hands were already working to remove my jet black jacket that Ulquiorra had given back to me before we came to this hotel so I may conceal my guns again.

Suit jacket in hand, I walked across the grey-white carpet; a pair of dark green armchairs and a rounded, wooden coffee table, and oak entertainment center located out ahead, passed the bathroom; and draped the garment on the back of one of the oversized, velvet armchairs.

I lethargically toed off my shoes before using my fingers to pull my leather holster straps off my chest and down my arms; my guns getting lightly dropped on the cushion of the plush and comfortable-looking armchair.

The overhead studio lighting was kept low, adding only a dim, comforting light that would not strain sleepy eyes but still make it possible to see and navigate around, and I was already feeling even more tired now that I had taken off my shoes and my guns.

The large, white and green-decorating bed was off to my left and elevated by a few, carpeted steps along the way; a small, relaxing fireplace built into the wall on the left of it which probably served to separate the otherwise open bedroom from the rest of the suite.

My feet trudged to the beckoning, tempting bed, my fingers tiredly undoing the little, black buttons down my shirt along the way; my mind positively consumed with the prospect of getting some blissful rest at last; but…

I stopped once I approached the bed; my long, untucked shirt just hanging off of me and just barely showing my bandaged right side; and instead took to just sitting down on the edge of the large mattress and immediately dropping my face into my hands – there were no tears, no crying…just me…feeling terrible.

My elbows rested on the tops of my thighs as I cradled my head for a moment and tried desperately to get a grasp of my situation and self once more – my fear gripping me tightly as I realized that I needed to confess something extremely difficult to Ulquiorra…if I wanted any kind of resolution with my pain right now.

He needed to know; he deserved to know...he deserved to know about the hardest thing that I had ever had to go through, the reason why I had my red rosary.

"No, no, no, no, Byakuya!" Ulquiorra panicked upon exiting the bathroom and seeing me as I was on the bed, before rushing up to me and kneeling down on the floor in front of me – his small, pale frame only clothed in the white, long-sleeved dress shirt from one of the guardsmen that I had killed.

I felt warm, gentle fingers slide on top of my wrists and carefully take my hands away from my face; my eyes opening slowly, though still looking down, and was immediately met with a worried, equally sad-looking green gaze as Ulquiorra peered up at me and held my hands securely in his own.

"Byakuya, talk to me," Ulquiorra said as I blinked hollowly, apologetically at him, "what's wrong?"

I wet the inside of my mouth with my tongue before speaking, my haggard thoughts still barely formed inside my head before I willingly let them escape my lips.

"I have to tell you something, but it's…very painful for me," I began, totally unsure of if this was even going to convey as clearly and thoroughly as I needed it to.

"I'm here for you…okay? Right here, and I'm not going anywhere," Ulquiorra reassured me with a little squeeze to my hands, genuinely taking away some of the built-up tension and stress that I had accumulated from pondering about such a subject, "so please…tell me."

I blinked again at his kneeling, humbled form before carefully removing my hands from his so I may retrieve my rosary from my right pants pocket; the tiny, scarlet beads familiar and smooth against my fingers as I held it for him to see.

I knew Ulquiorra recognized the item straight away, and I quietly sighed as I watched his every fixated feature; the words I was about to say practically feeling like stones inside my mouth as I begrudgingly began to speak about my recollection to him.

"Six years ago…I was married," I started hesitantly; truly feeling like a wounded and dying man on the verge of confessing every trial and tribulation that he had experienced to God so that he may be set right inside his mind before he passed away.

"What?! Oh my God, Byakuya…how come you never told me this!?!!" Ulquiorra panicked once more before I held up a cool hand to politely let him know that I still needed to explain myself; Ulquiorra still on the floor in front of me but his eyes were now wide with shock and confusion at me.

"Her name was Hisana;" I told him, my words and mentality more collected and stable than I had originally thought they would have been while saying and almost reliving such cruel, tender things again, "she was the daughter of one of the elder White Night members and…our marriage was, more or less, encouraged to take place by the Kyoutou."

"Don't get me wrong, it wasn't an arranged marriage, and over time…I did love her," I confessed, now starting to feel a bit light-headed from already being able to foresee the details of where my tragic story was going.

"However, we had only been married for two years…before…before she died," I said with a sigh as I closed my eyes briefly but only to open them again and look off to my right; Ulquiorra's gaze being far too much for me to handle as horribly detailed image after image ran through my mind like some kind of tormenting slideshow.

Upon hearing my exasperated, hardened words that revealed more about my hurtful history than anything else, Ulquiorra gasped aloud and threw his hands over his mouth as his eyes were mercilessly glued to my face, peering right into my pain as I purposefully avoided his intensity.

"This…"I sighed again, fingering the rosary in my hand once more which caused the small beads to rustle around briefly, "was hers…and she gave it to me right before she died. Hisana told me to keep praying so I wouldn't feel lonely when she was gone, so…that's what I have been doing…every day…these past four years."

Suddenly, in a quickened blur of movement, Ulquiorra was up off the floor one moment and straddling my lap the next; his legs on either side of me on the bed as he promptly tossed his arms around my shoulders and squeezed my body to him.

I was only surprised for a flicker of a second before I felt Ulquiorra's precious face snuggle against the top of my shoulder, his nose and lips pressed up against the side of my neck; as his arms demonstrated a kind of strength I never knew he had as he held me securely.

I somberly closed my eyes, tempted to smile sadly at his genuinely comforting, pitying gesture, as I wrapped my much larger arms around him and returned his welcomed, warm embrace.

It felt so nice to have someone to hold again…someone who cared.

"You poor thing…all this time, you've been in so much pain," Ulquiorra murmured, grief-stricken, into my shoulder as his arms desperately tightened around me, almost as if he wanted to somehow make my pain, his.

Upon hearing my angel's words, I did smile sadly into his smaller shoulder as I breathed in his scent and just enjoyed having him squeeze me so possessively; putting the idea in my head that, as long as we stayed like this, I would never again have to know what it meant to lose something precious.

Saying what I had had served to cleanse a dark, terrifying place within me, and now, in Ulquiorra's arms as he sat on my lap and kept his face pressed into my neck; I was truly beginning to feel…relieved about everything.

Lighter...freer…happier…like I had just dropped a heavy burden that I had been physically carrying in my arms, on my back, seemingly forever until…until talking about it with Ulquiorra meant that I could simply let it go…and have it fall away and dissipate into a satisfying, relieving nothingness that made all the world of difference to my soul.

I breathed easier.

Loosening my arms from around his back, I took hold of Ulquiorra's shoulders and gently pulled him back, just enough so I could look him in the eye again – a beautiful revelation having just occurred to me.

Hurt, sorrowful green eyes looked straight into my ash-colored ones as I freed my hands from his shoulders and took his hands in mine; Ulquiorra sniffing back tears in the process as I gazed affectionately at him; indisputably touched at how affected he was by my past.

"I'm not in pain anymore, Ulquiorra," I stated as I watched his watery green eyes blink and finally release tiny streams of crystal-clear tears that streaked incongruently down the matching green lines on his cheeks, "because…I have you."

"Byakuya, I…"he started, but hushed up immediately as I began to gently place my rosary inside one of his opened palms, my fingers closing his fingers around the treasured, meaningful item until I lifted both of his hands to my lips and pressed a light kiss on one.

"I want you to have this," I said quietly as I slowly released his pale, delicate hands from my own, "It brought you to me, and…now I'm not alone anymore."

More glistening, translucent tears slid down Ulquiorra's lovely face as he sniffed again and brought his hands to his chest, his fingers clutching the red rosary tightly as his eyes never left my own – my angel appearing to be rather speechless as he said nothing at first.

Then, in a move almost too quick for me to process, Ulquiorra threw his hands out and grasped both sides of my face; my left cheek feeling the smooth beads of the rosary still intertwined around the fingers of Ulquiorra's right hand; before he leaned forward and hastily pressed his lips to mine.

Sweet relief washed over my heart in the most remarkable of ways and I felt his fingers slide across my cheeks and delve into my hair, gaining a secure hold as he pressed his lips more firmly against my own – my own hands raising up in an instant to cradle the back of my angel's head so I may return his kiss.

"Byakuya, I love you so much," Ulquiorra whispered quickly against my skin as he briefly pulled his petal-lips away from mine so we may both breathe before he crushed our mouths back together, his head tilting to a side as my fingers sifted through his soft, unruly raven hair as I urgently plunged my tongue inside his warm, wet cavern.

My tongue was immediately met with his as we both hungrily swirled the two soft, sensitive muscles together over and over again as if in some never-ending battle, each man trying to practically devour the other as I let him explore and taste me thoroughly before I sucked suggestively on the tip of his tongue and made long, lingering strokes inside his mouth.

Ulquiorra purred for me deep in his throat as his fingers pulled a bit sharper at my roots to encourage me to continue; our lips parting for another brief moment before I pressed another quick kiss to his parted lips and then moved to kiss along the exposed curve of his jaw.

My tongue played with the pale, soft flesh below his jaw before I closed my lips around it and kissed it in earnest – Ulquiorra's soft pants of air sounding in the room as I felt his small hands trail from my hair down to my shoulders where he grasped both folds of my unbuttoned shirt.

Getting the hint, I hurriedly removed my hands from Ulquiorra's body; my lips still attached to his long, graceful neck; sucking diligently on the pulse and loving the subtle shifts Ulquiorra would make in my lap as a result; as I let him deftly pull my shirt down and off my arms.

Now rid of my bothersome, constricting shirt that I assumed was now crumpled on the floor; I pulled my lips away from Ulquiorra's delicious neck, my own parted lips panting lightly for air as I watched Ulquiorra quickly unbutton his own white shirt that was too large for him.

Satin fell away from alluring, white velvet as Ulquiorra let his shirt fall off him with an entrancing arch of his back while in my lap and, feeling wholly overwhelmed by the heavenly sight before me; I immediately placed my hands on Ulquiorra's slender back to support his arch before I captured one of his nipples in between my lips.

"Yes…Byakuya…"Ulquiorra cooed mindlessly as I flicked my tongue over and across his sensitive nub of flesh before nibbling on it softly, my growing arousal acutely aware of how Ulquiorra seemed to tremble in my arms whenever I did so.

Letting his fully erect and tortured nipple slip from my lips, I delivered a small pull to his back; bringing him closer to me; and caught his lips in a searing, passionate kiss; my mouth swallowing up his quiet groans and needy purrs and his fingers gripped at my tattooed biceps desperately.

Again, I hastily broke off our heated, delicious kiss, leaving Ulquiorra panting heavily for air, as I dipped his body back once more; my tongue trailing down his chest and across his flat, taut stomach as I used my hands to also raise him up for me as well.

Ulquiorra's lovely legs on either side of me trembled in pleasure as my hands kneaded his slim figure from behind as I continued to explore lower and lower on him – his soft, warm skin melting under my tongue and lips as I brought my mouth over to just above one of his narrow, perfect hipbones.

Ulquiorra jolted a bit before cooing in a slippery, stammering decrescendo, clearly dying pleasantly from having me pay attention to such a sensitive, ticklish part of him – my tongue practically making a game out of swirling teasingly against his sweet skin before nibbling at his hipbone and then blowing cool air over the worried area to soothe him.

Delicate, thin fingers lightly scratched up my arms until I felt Ulquiorra slide his hands into my hair, pulling my long, angled bangs out of my face – Ulquiorra gracefully standing the rest of the way up, taking his legs off the bed, so he could be fully in front of me.

I let him apply gentle pressure to the top of my head, bringing me even lower on him, as I released his hipbone from my mouth and instead ran my tongue obligingly over the moist, enflamed head of his rigid cock; my hands moving from his back to either side of his lithe waist where I could hold him steady.

Painstakingly, I kissed the tip of his cock before making sure that he could feel me part my lips wide so I could start taking him in my mouth, inch by hot, throbbing inch as he filled my mouth – Ulquiorra immediately tossing his raven head back and moaning loudly as I did so, his fingers tightening in my hair as I squeezed his hips in my hands.

Wanting my angel to be in complete ecstasy as soon as possible, I kept his full length down my throat for a moment longer while I sucked harshly at his base, before quickly raising my head so I could release almost his entire cock from my mouth.

Ulquiorra arched his back, damn near screaming from my ministrations, and I started my rhythm of deep-throating his pulsating cock over and over, finding that I could do the task with only a little effort to relax my muscles, as I let him use his hands in my hair to bring my head back down on him with building force and speed as I continued to squeeze my lips around the solid contours of his straining length.

"Oh, B-Byakuya…just like that…nng…I'm s-so close," Ulquiorra groaned for me as I felt him free one of his hands from my hair so he may bring his fingers up to his lips and slip a few of them inside his mouth, wetting his slender digits with his own saliva.

"God…keep going…ah!" Ulquiorra whined, his voice getting higher as he kept his beautiful back arched gracefully for me while I continued to rapidly deep-throat his cock – my half-lidded eyes just barely seeing my lovely, sinful angel reach behind himself with his free hand and plunge his slick fingers into his entrance.

Right when he did so, Ulquiorra's body jolted and twitched before me; his lust-inspiring mouth moaning out to the ceiling, as I felt his warm, creamy essence spurt from his quivering cock, filling my mouth and running down my throat as I swallowed automatically.

Ulquiorra trembled sporadically, adorably as I swallowed once more, his body trying to curl around his pleasure as he bent his body forward so that he was almost hovering over me as I licked his sated member and then my lips once I let his cock fall from my mouth.

I was panting for air and was about to look up to Ulquiorra, until I felt two, soft hands plant themselves against my shoulders and roughly push me down so I would lie flat on the bed – the bed's cotton-stuffed blankets giving a sort of 'poof' under my weight as a result.

"You're in so much trouble," Ulquiorra commented playfully, jokingly with a little chuckle as I watched him pseudo-angrily unbutton and unzip my black pants before violently pulling them down my hips and off my body – a knowing, light-hearted smirk curving my lips as I observed his hasty actions.

My pants were balled up and thrown across the room over to where those green velvet armchairs were, him doing that making me laugh softly through my nose, before Ulquiorra plopped down so he was on his hands and knees above me – a savage, enticing look in his eyes as brilliant green peered down at me like he wanted to tear me apart in the best possible way.

I would always let him.

"…so much trouble…"Ulquiorra repeated as if in a daze before smashing his lips down against mine; his mouth hungrily devouring my own, making my own cock pulse with urgent, driven need; as I felt his hands seek out and take hold of mine.

His passionate, petal-soft lips still against my own, swallowing up my tiny sounds and noises of approval, I barely noticed it when Ulquiorra had raised my hands over my head and then ran his fingertips down the length of my arms; the feeling of his soft skin against mine while he was purposefully being rough and demanding with me was nothing short of an intoxicating phenomenon, and I never wanted it to end.

Abruptly, Ulquiorra pulled his tongue out of my mouth and his lips away from my own as he quickly sat up straight in my lap; the sight of his pearl-esque skin in full view before me was breathtaking as I felt myself ache even more for him.

"Don't move your hands from that spot," Ulquiorra warned me in his lustful, airy voice as he narrowed his eyes down at me to further emphasize his statement while I watched him raise himself off my lap – one of his hands pressed flat against my stomach for support while his other hand was behind himself and taking a firm hold of my long, thick member.

I furrowed my brow and quickly pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth as I suddenly became very aware of my hands resting on top of another pillow above my head, wanting to move them to his body and touch his porcelain skin some more, but instead having to practically suffer as I could only watch my angel straddle my hips and position his perfect, small ass above my cock.

"Ulquiorra…"I half-growled, half-whined in my low, rumbling timber as I watched Ulquiorra's body slowly start to lower back down to my lap, his fingers squeezing the wide head of my cock as he made it push passed through his tight ring of muscle and breach his stretched, slick entrance.

My fingers grabbed and pulled at the edges of the pillow I was lying on as my lips parted in a silent moan, my head tilting back and my chin raising up, as I groaned out languidly, "Holy shit…"

Lower and lower, Ulquiorra brought his alluring, delicious hips down on top of my own, my angel moaning and panting heavily the whole time, until he was fully seated in my lap where he purposefully squeezed his soft, wet insides hard around me while he bowed his body backwards and brought both of his hands around to my lower abdomen.

I gasped before groaning out my air as Ulquiorra only took a moment to get used to my large member inside of him, his back still provocatively bent and allowing me a most spectacular view of his tight, trim muscles and form that were currently perched on top of me and squeezing my length in the most tantalizing of ways, before he lowered his lovely face back down and started to gingerly raise himself up.

I clawed at the pillow above my head violently, frustrated at being driven into a total mindless but blissful oblivion so slowly, as my conscientiously heightened senses felt Ulquiorra's entrance quiver around me as he let more of my cock slip out of him before he slammed his ass back down and had me completely immersed in the wonderful, brain-melting texture of his insides once more.

"Fuck…Ulquiorra…"I growled in between groans, positively dying to be able to touch him, take him, make love to him faster and harder so he could scream my name and squeeze me with his legs while I made him orgasm – watching him meticulously fuck himself on my solid, weeping length was proving to be more mind-breaking torture to my very soul than truly sexually satisfying.

Ulquiorra's face was lightly scrunched up, his lips parted as he whimpered and moaned, as he continued to squeeze my cock mercilessly tight inside his supple, firm ass as he raised ever-so slightly off my lap but only to grind all the way down; the act making me completely lose my mind as my eyes rolled in the back of my head every time – my angel's sensuous, shameless sounds and actions serving as staggering fuel to my growing fire as I watched the most sexiest thing I had ever seen in my life.

"Ulquiorra, please…please let me touch you," I begged shamelessly, breathlessly; my every fiber only honed in on making sure that both he and I received the most glorious pleasure that we could sustain; as I barely waited for an answer before quickly sitting up and wrapping my strong, tattooed arms around his small, slender frame.

Immediately, I felt some degree of satisfaction and relief riddle through me now that I held Ulquiorra in my arms and could touch him again, as I parted my knees and slid my hands lovingly down his back and to his ass, where I squeezed his smooth, rounded flesh and effortlessly lifted him up a little bit in my lap; situated us both to where he could still ride me but I would be in control.

Ulquiorra's arms flew around my broad shoulders as he kept his gorgeous face close to mine as I began thrusting up into his ass while maneuvering him as I saw fit with my hands; effectively making our bodies move seamlessly together while my cock was kept overwhelmingly buried inside of him as I pounded into that addictive, amazing texture.

"Oh my…Byakuya…ohhh…"Ulquiorra moaned as he bounced up and down in my lap, making my cock squish erotically inside of him over and over, the impossibly tight, wet, heat of his ass massaging my begging length in such a way to perfectly coax orgasm as I squeezed his hips and ass tighter in my hands and groaned my pleasure in his ear.

"God…mmn…I am so close, baby," I purred suggestively before biting down hard on one of his shoulders; the salty-sweet flesh prey to my teeth and tongue as I sucked diligently on him while I continued to pound into his blissfully willing body – his arms tightening around my shoulders, his fingernails digging themselves into my wide, tattooed back at the sultry baritone of my voice running over him.

Freeing one of my hands from his bucking, pleasure-inducing hips, I smoothly took hold of one of his hands from my shoulder and brought it down to his straining member in between our grinding bodies that just seemed to perfectly fit together.

Ulquiorra eagerly took hold of his own, twitching cock, pumping it furiously in his hand, while I lowered my hand even more and lustfully took hold of his sensitive sac; rolling the soft, highly-receptive flesh gently in between my fingers to add extra pleasure to my angel's erotic passion while we made love.

Ulquiorra's pale, lovely bottom lip was in between his teeth, his eyes screwed shut tight as I felt his movements become more frantic, more rushed and needy as he sought out release, as I watched him deliciously thumb his own leaking slit before I panted out to him,"Come for me, baby…nng…right now…I want to see you come…"

Then, in a mind-warping display far too sexy for any mere man to withstand sanely, Ulquiorra's face contorted to that of sheer, unrestrained pleasure as he arched his back beautifully, almost dipping far enough to have his shoulder blade touch the bed, and climaxed at last while his thighs hugged my waist wantonly– my name being screamed hoarsely to the ceiling above as I watched his hand pump out stream after stream of glossy, white essence that painted over his chest and abdomen.

Such a sinfully erotic view, coupled with how unworldly amazing it had felt as Ulquiorra's ass had squeezed my cock before his whole body trembled by the pulling, jolting throes his orgasm, I clutched the small of his back roughly as I came in long, hot spurts inside his convulsing, swallowing entrance – my hips moving on their own accord to prolong my release and draw it out as long as possible…Ulquiorra's name falling from my lips like it was the only word I knew.

Senses starting to come back to our exhausted but miraculously fatigued bodies, both of us tried to catch our breath as Ulquiorra tiredly laid his precious head against my chest; slumping his pale, slender body over and just letting me hold him up.

I smiled down at his mass of unruly, midnight hair and pressed a chaste, loving kiss to the top of his head, my arms feeling heavy and over-exerted but I managed lightly wrap them around the delicate curve of his back while Ulquiorra continued to rest peacefully in my lap, his face turned to the side as he kept his cheek against my chest, just listening to my heart beat even out and regain normalcy, perhaps.

My mind was extraordinarily blank and void of any solid thoughts, but my attention quickly honed back in to Ulquiorra as I heard the subtle sound of my angel licking his lips before saying quietly against my flesh, "Let's go somewhere."

Genuinely perplexed about what Ulquiorra could possibly mean by that, due in large part to my current inability to think and rationalize properly from being so drained and sated from our lovemaking, I replied, "What do you mean? Where would you want to go?"

Without any kind of hesitation whatsoever in his voice, Ulquiorra clarified solemnly, "Anywhere…just as long as it's only me and you. Let's leave this place, this country…see the world…together."

Upon finishing his wholly committed proposal to me, Ulquiorra lifted his face up to mine, my eyes immediately getting lost in a startling sea of green as he searched my cool features – infinite hope and love present in his every manner as I gazed helplessly at him for a good minute.

Then, a kind smile began curving my lips as I keenly observed how Ulquiorra was looking at me so fondly, so pleadingly in regards to his idea of us, more or less, escaping from here and continuing being together, living a life as we saw fit and as carefree as we pleased.

Ulquiorra truly did just want to be with me and only me…so how could I refuse?

"I'll go wherever you tell me to," I stated loyally, agreeing with Ulquiorra's out-of-the-blue idea in my own way and was immediately rewarded with seeing his lovely face brighten up as he gasped cutely before smiling at me.

Ulquiorra threw his slender arms around my neck with such unforeseeable force that it knocked me back down against the bed with him now lying on top of me and snuggling against me adorably, much like an excited puppy who was trying to smother someone in the cutest way possible, as he rambled 'thank you' countless times into the side of my neck and the pillow behind it; his lips pressing kiss after kiss in between his words to my neck and cheek.

I had to chuckle from his heart-warming actions as I stroked his hair with one hand, the other stretched out on the bed and tangled in our sheets, and succeeded in calming him down to where he would just lie still on top of me, his fingertips trailing endless patterns against my arms, my chest as he continued to thank me quietly and came back down from his sudden burst of energy.

I took a deep, relaxing breath; the prospect of sleeping soundly seeming incredibly good to me at the moment; as I cradled Ulquiorra against me, closed my eyes, and replied back to my obviously content and ecstatic angel, "There's no need to thank me. I'd do…anything for you."

"Byakuya…"Ulquiorra whispered as he delivered a gentle, gracious squeeze to my stretched-out arm; his weight seeming to be a little heavier on me, making me realize that he was nearing sleep as well with the way he was calming down and relaxing so thoroughly on top of me…not that I minded in the least bit, though.

"Shh. Let's go to sleep," I cooed softly, a deep, remarkable slumber quickly finding me and coddling me in an unbelievably soothing embrace as I barely even felt Ulquiorra against me anymore as my senses of reality were vastly leaving me, "…we'll leave…in the morning."

"…love you so much…"Ulquiorra said in a barely audible voice before he fell asleep; thoughts and ideas of his previous proposal probably carving magnificent dreams for him as he unconsciously snuggled even closer to me.

"…love you…too," I managed to murmur before drifting off to sleep as well, the plump pillows at my head and the cloud-like mattress I was lying on proving to be exactly what I needed at this moment…that and Ulquiorra telling me how he wanted us to be together…no matter what.

I slept so serenely that night, with Ulquiorra never leaving my side, hopes of our future together fresh in my mind...and with the red rosary lying on the far corner of the bed on top of the thick covers; adding a brilliant splash of eye-catching color to the white but dimly illuminated bed inside our pleasantly decorated hotel room.

X

_Author's Note_: Sweet Jesus, I'm writing another Naruto fic…God help us all. XD This fic is almost done; just one more chapter to go! It shall all wrap up nicely in the eighth and last chapter. Thanks for all the support, everyone!!!


	8. Chapter 8

"_Prayer may not change things for you, but it for sure changes you for things."_ - Samuel M. Shoemaker

X

Chapter Eight

_**Third Person POV**_

Five weeks later…

Kuchiki Byakuya, dressed in a simple white button-down shirt and dark blue jeans, was currently occupied with washing the dishes that he and Ulquiorra had used only a few moments ago for their pizza and salad dinner.

Having become a bit of encouraged habit, Byakuya's long, raven hair was tied back where only his dark bangs were swept diagonally across his face, highlighting his sharp, strong features while also bringing out his lovely, onyx eyes that he kept lowered to his hands as he scrubbed the blood-red and white dishes spotless before setting them aside.

For the past four days, the former yakuza member and his beautiful, green-eyed lover had been living in a lavish, extraordinarily decorated suite in Florence, Italy within the Tuscany region, also known as the 'cradle of Renaissance.'

Their Romanesque-style hotel overlooked beautiful Latin cathedrals and countless architectural monuments that offered the famous city so much grounded and symmetrical splendor that ran along the stunning Arno River.

Byakuya truly loved living in this historically enriched city with Ulquiorra, but he knew that in only a few more days, they would be packing up and moving off to another location to visit and experience. The knowledge of their approaching move did not bother the Kuchiki in the least bit; however, as he and Ulquiorra had agreed to travel the world together and he knew that they could always come back to this place later.

During their time together after what had happened that fate-changing and bloody night in the White Night Kyoutou manor, Byakuya and Ulquiorra had traveled extensively, forever astonished by the sights and attractions of new places, as well as how close they had become as per their fast-paced, care-free lifestyle as they sought to do as they pleased, go where they pleased; always with each other.

It was total freedom to them both…something Byakuya had only dreamed about before he had met Ulquiorra all that time ago…and now he was living it with his vivacious and gorgeous lover by his side in the best possible way as they purged out every single distressing and foreboding emotion inside of them and just fully gave themselves to the thrill of always moving, always seeking adventure, always being enchanted by the next place and thing that they experienced while they learned new languages, territories, and customs.

The pair had already been to the impressively ornate city of Hong Kong, China, where every skyline shone with brilliant neon colors of all the jumbling business signs strewn about the tall, futuristic-looking towers; the country Thailand where they watched gritty but frightfully interesting Muai Thai fights in the bustling, busy city of Bangkok before relaxing in the utter paradise on earth that is Phuket.

After those two countries, and upon Ulquiorra's request, the pair had ventured further west and had spent quite a bit of time in the lovely city of Bordeaux, France. The pair had strolled lovingly a few times down the fascinatingly-designed Pont Pierre – the two of them positively in love with the vibrant, inviting atmosphere, the unexpectedly satisfying food, and the overall lighthearted feeling one gets when surrounded by all the sights and sounds of such a bountiful, romantic place.

The many vineyards that offered acre upon acre of spacious greenery and color and aroma, as well as the stunning buildings that seemed to loosely wrap around the more populated parts of the city in all of her beauteous glory, had definitely drawn in Byakuya – the grand city giving the previously troubled man such a sense of internal peace and tranquility that he had never known before…like he had stumbled upon some sort of rural utopia where one could finally maintain a sense of balance and feel a little bit closer to God.

Aside from the crystal-clear waters and practically white, cotton-soft sands that Phuket, Thailand offered, Byakuya knew that he would want to come back to France as well.

As physically tiring as their seemingly constant travels had inevitably made the pair, Byakuya and Ulquiorra had never been happier in their lives; the both of them genuinely certain that they were living out an impossible, unreachable dream and it was only made sweeter that it was always hand-in-hand with each other. Everything that Byakuya had seen that had amazed him, Ulquiorra had seen it, too, and could share in his moments of being enthralled and speechless by such beauty that historical and well-kept cities often exhibit.

As Byakuya scrubbed the last of the dishes, he could not help but smirk to himself as he recalled some of the more humorous events in which he and Ulquiorra had found themselves, being in a few of the countries they had visited.

Byakuya's soaked and soapy hands never stopped moving, though the action of washing the dish having become rather lax and automatic, as his smirk grew wider across his devastatingly handsome face as he remembered how Ulquiorra had ungracefully flopped time and time again into the Andaman Sea when they had been in Thailand; the light-blue and green water crashing down onto his lean, ivory body with apparently unforgiving force as the Schiffer was basically being pushed forward in the water and made to topple over.

Byakuya had only watched it all from the beach as his lover looked like he was having a boxing match with the oncoming waves.

Byakuya chuckled lightly at the memory of how an older lady vendor at one of the roadside stands when they had been in China was practically cursing the day Byakuya had been born as the ex-yakuza member had unfortunately mispronounced what he had wanted to say and ended up insulting her future instead.

The short, elderly woman had shouted relentlessly at the stunned, confused Kuchiki with Ulquiorra unfortunately by his side as he could only hope that she was not going to try to bludgeon him to death with her umbrella leaning next to her cart.

At this recollection, Byakuya did laugh out loud, still feeling pleasantly ridiculous about the whole situation that had made a small, curious crowd gather around them at the time and basically tell Byakuya with the looks in their eyes that he had really done it now.

All of the dishes now cleaned, Byakuya quickly dried off his hands with a nearby rag that lie on the moderately-sized kitchen counter next to the sink – the kitchen inside their Italian suite not overly large and spacious, but definitely adequate for just the two of them as it was of off-white and burgundy décor with a older looking stove, where every tiny crack in the stones that zigzagged throughout begged to tell an amazing story of such a rustic but fascinating place.

"Babe, could you come here for a moment?" Ulquiorra's voice suddenly sounded from their simply furnished but invitingly open living room that happened to be adjacent to a spectacular balcony where elaborate black-iron railing curved and swirled in majestic patterns all around the enclosed area.

Byakuya knew that Ulquiorra had been painting in the living room while he had done the dishes, as the forever-inspired younger man loved to be able to look out into the city at night while he worked, so the older man figured that that was why he had been called.

"I'll be right there," Byakuya answered back in his timbered voice with a noticeable amount of positivism shining through his low tones and mannerisms as he spoke anymore.

Smirking with his gaze softening tremendously as Byakuya abandoned their quaint kitchen and dutifully strode to the end of the white-stoned hall where he could simply lean against the curved opening of the structure so he may peer into the living room as he leaned his weight against the wall to watch his lover with a bit of distance so he could see fully everything almost as if it were all a picture in itself.

Ulquiorra, sitting cross-legged on the floor with a few finished painting all around him, turned his head towards his smirking, handsome lover who was affectionately watching him with his large, strong arms crossed over his chest.

Ulquiorra smiled warmly at Byakuya as he turned the canvas that he had in his hands around so he could see it from where he was standing.

"I wanted to show you this. I just finished it," Ulquiorra informed his deadly sexy lover as he greedily drank in how Byakuya's expression quickly melted from cool and casual to completely stunned and breathless.

Byakuya knew his mouth was hanging open, but the former gun-wielding assassin could do nothing about it as he gaped at the expertly painted picture that Ulquiorra was showing him – nothing what he had expected to be shown upon approaching his talented artist of a lover.

Noticing that Byakuya was momentarily incapable of speaking, Ulquiorra clarified, "This is just the first one of my 'Savior' series. I really hope you like it…?"

The painting was of Kuchiki Byakuya himself, dressed in one of his expensive black suits with his hair hanging down around his shoulders in a very exhausted and elaborate manner, as the depicted man had his hands clasped together in front of him as he knelt humbly and kept a particular crimson rosary close to his lips, interlaced throughout his joined fingers, as he spoke, as he prayed.

Brilliant but subtle strokes of white light streaked down from above, completely battling the sheer darkness that the rest of the solemn, somewhat depressing portrait expressed, but Byakuya's eyes could not stray from his own face in the portrait and how much pain and strife yet with only the beginning glimmers of hope that were there.

Byakuya could not count how many times he had probably made that exact same face while he prayed in his cathedral back home…

Snapping back to reality, Byakuya rushed to Ulquiorra's sitting form and sat himself down next to him – the green-eyed man already extending out the painting towards him with a pleased smile on his face.

Byakuya, now sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with his lover, held the professionally painted portrait in his hands as he looked down at it for a moment more before saying quietly, "Ulquiorra, this is…I don't even know what to say. This is amazing."

Byakuya blinked as he felt Ulquiorra press a firm kiss to his cheek before he gently set the painting down.

"I'm glad you like that one," Ulquiorra said with addictive glee as he reached off to his other side and retrieved another, larger canvas, "…I also made one other."

Byakuya unconsciously gulped as he politely extended his hands to receive Ulquiorra's second painting in his alleged 'Savior' series.

In this painting, in the very center, was the back of a long-haired man with his arms spread out wide on either wide of him as the folds of his dark jacket smoothly flapped freely from such ragged momentum.

The man was depicted as a purely black silhouette where his long, dark legs that were perfectly together were emphasized, as well as the intensity with which the man had both of his hands out, but all around his outstretched arms were generous, starbursting lines of grey that turned into a staggering white the farther they went.

The painting's whole image was powerful, like is was somewhat reflecting the raw strength a mere man could expel from his own, mortal body in such a time of utter chaos and turmoil, and Byakuya found himself looking towards Ulquiorra with a confused look on his striking face.

"This was…what I saw that night when you saved me in that alleyway," Ulquiorra confessed a bit shyly as an adorable pink blush began making its way across his rounded, angelic cheeks as he spoke, "…from my position, when I looked up…I saw you standing just like this, fighting off those guys…and saving me."

Hearing his angel say something so impossibly overwhelming and bittersweet as it was nostalgic, Byakuya sighed quietly out through his nose as his lips curved up in a small, kind smile as he carefully placed that painting on the floor next to the other one.

Byakuya licked his smiling lips before saying playfully, "So, I'm a 'savior,' am I?"

Ulquiorra cutely rolled his eyes, his blush darkening across his naturally pale features, as he said around his smile, "Well, yes…and I'll have you know that those two paintings already have a couple bids of them from some local buyers in the area. This series of paintings…of you…is actually turning out really well."

Byakuya slightly pursed his smirking lips at Ulquiorra's little outburst so hide some of his embarrassment; the older man swiftly encircling his arms around his lithe, pouting lover and bringing him even closer as he placed his lips next to Ulquiorra's ear.

"Thank you, sweetheart; they're wonderful," Byakuya cooed sweetly as he pressed a feather-light kiss to Ulquiorra's temple affectionately.

Ulquiorra obligingly snuggled his head against Byakuya's neck, pale, small hands coming up to rest against the hard, solid planes of Byakuya's chest, as he said, "How could I not paint you? I had always wanted to."

"Oh yes, I remember when you told me you wanted to paint my portrait," Byakuya recalled as he gently rested his chin on top of Ulquiorra messy, black head as he held him close and felt Ulquiorra idly play with the fabric of his shirt at his chest, "…no one had ever said that to me before, so I was…quite shocked when I heard it."

Ulquiorra chuckled softly against Byakuya's chest; totally remembering how he had just blurted out how he wanted to paint someone as handsome as him when they had barely even knew each other at the time.

"I'm going to be swamped for a while because if those paintings sell really well, I'll have to make some replicas, and I already have some other ideas in mind for the series as well," Ulquiorra chatted comfortably in his lover's warm, protective embrace as he trailed a single finger down Byakuya's chest and across his upper abdomen, appreciating every taut and well-honed muscle beneath his soft shirt.

"Oh; really?" Byakuya questioned playfully as he tipped his head down to look at his lover's unruly mass of layered, raven hair with a smirk, "…and what are these other ideas that you have?"

Fully catching onto Byakuya's bout of mild cheekiness, Ulquiorra pseudo-frowned as he pulled his head away from his lover's chest so he may look him squarely in his piercing ash-colored orbs that always seemed to know everything he did not.

"Oh, come on…wouldn't you rather just see them when they're done?" Ulquiorra offered, hoping to try to maneuver his way out of telling Byakuya about his other painting ideas that were still all about his memories of him.

Byakuya shook his head, making his long bangs sway from side to side briefly before he locked eyes with his younger, smaller lover and said, "Tell me."

Ulquiorra pseudo-frowned once more.

"Fine, fine…well…" Ulquiorra began, trying to figure out how to put art into words that could be easily conveyed right here and now, "…the only one I can remember right now is going to have shadowed, grey buildings on either side…you with be walking away in between them with your hands in your pockets…and in the forefront of the painting on the dirty, gross ground where only a single object is going to be in bright color. It and you will be the focal points in the painting, one black and one red, and at complete opposite ends of the canvas…very comic-book-like, but I found that I actually like to paint you in that dark and serious way."

"Dark and serious, eh?" Byakuya mused a light chuckle as he listened to every word Ulquiorra had to say; almost entranced by how vividly his lover could speak about his work to him like that on a whim, "…but what is the object you mentioned?"

"The rosary," Ulquiorra answered without missing a beat, "it's…you know, how I found you. It was lying on the ground, just like how I described, where you had obviously walked out of the alley, and…"

Ulquiorra trailed off, his mind starting to recall the events of that day…of what he was now translating into meaningful, startling paintings that truly did depict any man's struggle in this world.

Byakuya could see Ulquiorra's captivating green eyes sort of glaze over as he was clearly getting lost in his own thoughts, as the older man adoringly brought a hand up to Ulquiorra's porcelain face and gently touched his fingers to one of his soft cheeks.

"You're right…you did find me…and you know what?" Byakuya posed the rhetorical question to his beautiful lover as he gingerly praised the skin of his cheek and jaw with his fingertips, "...you were the one who saved me. I think this 'Savior' series…needs to be about you, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra smiled sweetly at Byakuya's tender words as he slightly turned his head so he may kiss Byakuya's fingertips, letting them trail over his lips and across his small chin.

"Maybe…"Ulquiorra cooed dreamily before cocking an eyebrow up at Byakuya who was positively captivated by watching how his own fingertips ghosted over Ulquiorra's supple, intoxicating lips, "…but images of you sell better, so…"

Byakuya instantly laughed; a sort of rare but heart-warming sound as the Kuchiki's elegant mouth was shaped in a beautiful, bright smile as he chuckled at Ulquiorra's wicked comment.

"Thanks," Byakuya said sarcastically, his breath-taking smile having decreased into a more pleasant and comfortable one across his chiseled features as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ulquiorra's own velvety-smooth lips.

Ulquiorra purred into their candy-sweet kiss, loving how Byakuya's fingertips felt heavenly as they were so loving and gentle on the side of his jaw, while the older man claimed his mouth with warm passion.

Suddenly remembering something that he had wanted to say to Byakuya earlier over dinner, Ulquiorra quickly pulled his lips away from Byakuya's, leaving both of them tingling for more, but Ulquiorra knew that he had to say this to his dark-eyed lover while it was still fresh in his mind.

"I wanted to ask you…"Ulquiorra said with a bit of a pant before he fully caught his breath; his hands carefully taking both of Byakuya's much larger and much more calloused ones in his own to hold on their respective laps, "…which place that we have gone to…have you liked the best?"

"What? Why…?" Byakuya could not help but question his own pending question further as the Kuchiki could not seem to connect any dots with any prospective answer he might supply to a larger meaning.

"Please…just give me your answer," Ulquiorra pressed gently but with a sense of urgency in his tone, "...which country have you like the best?"

"Well, I really liked France…but I love here in Italy, too," Byakuya answered after a puzzled second – his ash-colored eyes still searching Ulquiorra's deep, green ones while he spoke and continued to feel Ulquiorra rub his thumbs over the tops of his hands soothingly.

"You're going to have to pick one; only one can be your favorite," Ulquiorra informed with a rather comical expression on his cherub, green-streaked face as he raised both of his thin eyebrows up at his mentally struggling and somewhat confused lover.

It was a tough decision to the ex-gunman.

Byakuya had loved being in France as he and Ulquiorra found that they could just spend hours upon hours in the art galleries and along the brick-lain roads until they found a new café that they had not yet tried.

However, Byakuya also loved living in Italy and being around so many different aspects of life; all of which were greatly appealing to the faithfully Catholic soul; as he had already found a new cathedral that had taken his breath away and realized that he had been truly at his happiest when he and Ulquiorra had spent the day in Rome where they had stood near the St. Peter's Basilica and just stared out into the River Tiber for what seemed like a glorious, timeless eternity.

While France's very atmosphere was exciting and offered amazing features to see and experience, Italy soothed his soul and offered Byakuya magnificent solace with its different brand of artistry that carved the towns and cities and breathed life into all the residents.

Byakuya swallowed and calmed before stating evenly, "Here. Here in Italy…is my favorite."

Ulquiorra smiled, his striking green eyes twinkling as they softened within Byakuya's calm gaze.

"Then it's settled," Ulquiorra began triumphantly, his angelic smile never leaving his pale, perfect lips, "…let's move here. Let's stop traveling and settle down here in Italy. I want to live here with you, Byakuya."

Captivating, charcoal-colored eyes widened in shock, but uncompromising, unrestrained happiness was quick to take over and allow Byakuya to feel every bit of joy one could feel upon being told that their dream was to come true.

Suddenly, Ulquiorra was lying on the floor with Byakuya directly on top of him, having lightly but hastily tackled him the rest of the way down from their sitting positions, and was pressing kiss after kiss to Ulquiorra's lips, cheeks, chin, nose…whatever was within reach.

"Ha ha ha…I guess this means you're happy, huh?" Ulquiorra chimed merrily as he had one eye closed as Byakuya placed one last kiss to his temple; the Schiffer positively melting slowly and warmly by so much sugar-sweet affection being showered down upon him from his beloved Byakuya whose cascading bangs were tickling his cheeks.

"You always make me happy," Byakuya said as he brought both of his hands carefully to either side of Ulquiorra's precious face, cupping his sheet-white flesh in his palms as he lowered his head again and pressed his lips to his lover's waiting pair – the kiss slower, measured, and more sacred this time.

The warmth and depth behind Byakuya's intensely savoring kiss to Ulquiorra's lips made the artist practically liquefy against the hard-tiled floor as he could feel by how carefully yet firmly Byakuya's lips moved against his exactly how grateful and appreciative his Kuchiki truthfully was about Ulquiorra's proposal.

Ulquiorra raised his slender arms up to his strong, well-built lover and used his delicate fingers to brush Byakuya's bangs out of both of their faces, secretly loving any chance he got to see Byakuya's gorgeous face without any hindrances whatsoever.

"I love you, baby…"Byakuya purred against Ulquiorra's mouth, relishing in the feeling of his lover's small hands in his hair, "…you make me so happy."

Ulquiorra could not help but smile against Byakuya's lips at the compliment, feeling jitters riddle inside of his stomach at such tender, praiseful words, as he moved his hands to either side of Byakuya's sharp jaw.

"Can I paint you? I love…to paint you, Byakuya," Ulquiorra breathed, his senses pleasantly dulled to where he may only feel undaunted contentment and peace – an earned and overwhelming sensation brought on only by being so intimately close to Byakuya, feeling his lips against his own and his warm breath against his skin.

Byakuya smiled; their lips parting after Ulquiorra also gave him an adorable nuzzle of his nose to the older man's cheek; as he replied earnestly, obligingly, "Of course, sweetheart. How do you want me?"

Ulquiorra smiled, his endlessly-colored eyes half-lidded and full of adoration and passion, as he took a moment to fully look at the stunning view right in front of him.

With both of his long, strong, and white-clad arms positioned on either side of him, Byakuya's statuesque face was smiling gently down at Ulquiorra, his once cold and unreadable onyx eyes now shining with such a renewed, revitalized radiance that made his whole face brighten up and look even more remarkable, as the locks of his lengthy, jet-black hair flowed over one of his broad shoulders while his bangs were draped across his face almost teasingly.

Ulquiorra could already picture large, impossibly soft-looking and feathery wings spanning out from behind Byakuya's wide back, reaching far on either side of the tattooed and heavily scarred man, as his dark but holy angel was truly a sight to behold at the moment; looking like he had truly descended down from Heaven in order to take Ulquiorra specifically into his arms, make unbelievable, earth-shattering love to him, and then whisk him off to a better place.

The young artist was able to say the one thing that was burning in his mind for a response to the single question Byakuya had posed to him

"Just like that…you, right there in this very spot…perfect…I don't ever want you to leave from where you are now," Ulquiorra professed dreamily, silkily to his perfect, protective lover above him that looked like a blessing incarnate; his beautiful savior who had faced monumental tragedy, fought for him, bled for him, and then gave him his treasured red rosary along with his healing, precious heart to nurture in the end.

Angels or saviors, both men had in their sights and within their embrace the very person that they knew had completely changed their opinion of right and wrong in the world and had brought infinite, unconditional happiness back into their lives; answering each man's prayers of love, forgiveness, and second chances, either spoken or otherwise.

_Author's Note_: Oh yes, this story is finally done. I wish to express my gratitude to all of my faithful readers who stuck by me with this one, and I thank you in advance for any feedback you might have about this story. Cheers!!!


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